Daguerreotypes as Early Plasmonic Imagers

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publishes a commentary "Plasmonics sheds light on the nanotechnology of daguerreotypes" by Naomi J. Halas on open-access paper "Nineteenth-century nanotechnology: The plasmonic properties of daguerreotypes" by Andrea E. Schlather, Paul Gieri, Mike Robinson, Silvia A. Centeno, and Alejandro Manjavacas talks about a newly found explanation of daguerreotype imaging:

"...before plasmonic nanostructures became a science, they were an art. The invention of the daguerreotype was publicly announced in 1839 and is recognized as the earliest photographic technology that successfully captured an image from a camera, with resolution and clarity that remain impressive even by today’s standards. Here, using a unique combination of daguerreotype artistry and expertise, experimental nanoscale surface analysis, and electromagnetic simulations, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the plasmonic properties of these early photographs, which can be recognized as an example of plasmonic color printing."