1323
and several happened to be in Paris during the fi rst
weeks of 1839 (Pedro Monlau, Joaquín Hysern, Pedro
Mata, Ramón Alabern) and were among the privileged
few to see the fi rst daguerreotypes and even Daguerre
himself at work. Pedro Monlau was to act as the Paris
correspondent for the Barcelona Academy. Shortly after
the invention was announced, he issued a very detailed
report, which was later published by the magazine El
Museo de Familias. Once back in Barcelona, an enthu-
siastic Monlau introduced the daguerreotype process to
his fellow academicians at a session held on 6 Novem-
ber 1839 and presented the view of the church of the
Madeleine that Alabern had taken in Paris. He suggested
that the Academy purchase Alabern’s equipment at cost
price. This was agreed, and the Academy then decided
to convene the citizens of Barcelona so that they could
witness a demonstration of the process in what was to
be the fi rst known recorded use of the daguerreotype
in Spain. This public presentation of the daguerreotype
took place on Sunday 10 November, as announced by
the El Constitucional newspaper and the Diario de Bar-
celona in its entertainment section. The exterior view of
the Lonja building was the subject of this fi rst, no longer
extant, daguerreotype, again produced by Alabern after
a 22-minute exposure.
The origins of photography in Madrid were also
linked to Barcelona’s Academia de Ciencias (Acad-
emy of Sciences) through a group of liberal scientists
who worked in the capital and were also members of
Madrid’s Liceo (Lycée). A few days after the eventSPAIN
Clifford, Charles. The Alhambra,
Granad. One of 58 prints in an album
entitled: Eighteen architectural studies
& city views of Spain by Charles
Clifford plus other veiws of Spain and
Canada by others.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
© The J. Paul Getty Museum.