THE DAGUERREIAN SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Pro�le
14
Walter Johnson
Merritt Island, Florida
Age, 77 years
Masters from Purdue University
Taught photography, photographic history, and art at
Ohio State University, Purdue University, Daytona Beach
Community College, and part time at several other colleges
and universities. Now retired.
I started to collect objects related to photography in 1965, and
now have an interesting collection of over 300 photographic
kitsch items. I started to collect because my former employer had
given me several of his personal cameras which he’d used while
a member of the Columbus Ohio Pictorial Society, 1900-1920’s.
My photographic object collection at one time exceeded 600
items, and it was then I realized it was time to reduce the size of
the collection and improve the quality. I set a time line of 1900
where my collection would stop, and the 30 items that remained
found a new home at the Ohio Historical Society. �at selection
included several �ne examples: an American made daguerreotype
1/4 plate camera with tripod, many wet-plate cameras of various
sizes, a full plate portrait camera, a CDV four lens camera, a stereo
camera, the original Kodak camera (serial number 15), and many
other items of museum quality. In addition to the cameras and
other objects, there were more than 100 images included to show
to good advantage all of the major types of photographic images
produced during the 19th century.
A�er I le� the service of Ohio State, I wanted my collection of
photographic books to have a home where they could continue to
be used by students studying photography. My collection of 2200
volumes, including many key early works and newly published
volumes, was donated to the Ohio State University library. �e
gi� included a collection of 3,000 periodicals ranging in time
from 1876 to the 1980s.
I’ve changed my photo collecting habits to match my income,
so I must now be content to add smaller, less expensive items
because my funds are quite limited. However, the friends found
along the way have become the most impressive element in my
current collection, and I’m very content in that. While I did have
a very impressive collection of postmortem images (about 1200
pieces), it’s now in the Strong Museum, Rochester, N.Y.
My favorite image from my collection was that of the Moon taken
by John Whipple, Oct. 26th, 1856 -- a quarter plate in very �ne
condition. When Neil Armstrong made a presentation at Ohio
State, I had the opportunity to show the plate to him. �is became
the single most important moment for me, with the president of
the university to one side of me and Neil Armstrong at the other,
holding the daguerreian Moon image between us.
I’ve never paid big money for any image. I have however paid
a price of time and travel, and hours of research to locate items
for the collection. What I didn’t spend in US dollars was spent in
pure energy to expand and improve the collection. Because of my
current age, most all of the very important collectibles from my
collection have been placed in major museums about the country.
�e list of museums is a long one, so rather than name each of
the places that now holds items I once owned, it would not be an
over statement to suggest that more than thirty institutions have
in their collections items once owned by me.
My one real bargain was the American made daguerreotype camera
purchased with six other cameras from a retired photographer
in southern Ohio. I’d been told that he would auction o� all the
remaining items from his studio that weekend. A�er making the
drive to the studio, I discovered a large group already there in
the main building and purchasing most everything at very low
prices. Mr. Wagner, the retired photographer, took me aside and
asked if I wanted to check out his back room, a small building
out back. A�er leading me there, he said he’d be back later. Two
hours or more passed and he hadn’t returned. I went to look for
him and set the six cameras I hoped to purchase on the stairway,
out of sight so they would be there went we returned. When I
did �nd him, he was very disappointed with the way the auction
was going. Walking with me to the back building his attitude
changed. When he saw what I had set aside, he said, “I see that
you found the museum piece.” I felt my heart jump into my throat
and thought that I was then lost because he certainly knew the
value of the daguerreotype camera. But he turned to me and asked
what I could a�ord for the lot that I had selected. I told him that
I had brought $200.00 with me not knowing what to expect from
his auction. A�er what seemed to me to be forever, he answered
“that’s Ok,” and turned and walked away.
I would return several times to the Wagner home a�er the studio
had closed, and in time I would �nd the cast iron head support, a
plaster posing column, and a hand painted backdrop about 1870.
Years later I built a studio on the second �oor of Haskett Hall
at Ohio State to demonstrate the daguerreotype process to my
The Daguerreian Society Newsletter
January - March 2010!"