François Fauvel Gouraud facts for kids
François Fauvel Gouraud (born 1808 – died 1847) was a French expert. He was skilled in both photography and a special way of remembering things called mnemonics.
He is best known for his work with daguerreotypes. This was the very first type of photography announced to the public. It was invented in France by Louis Daguerre in 1839. Gouraud worked for the company that made these cameras. In late 1839, he sailed to America. His goal was to introduce this new invention and give talks about it. He brought the equipment and was the first person to bring photography to America.
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Who Was François Gouraud?
François Fauvel Gouraud was born in 1808. He came from Martinique, an island in the Caribbean. He became famous for bringing the exciting new world of photography to the United States. He also helped develop ways to improve memory.
Bringing Photography to America
Gouraud played a big part in sharing photography with the world. He was the official agent for the company that made the first cameras.
Early Photography: The Daguerreotype
In 1840, Gouraud spent time in Boston. There, he sold the very first camera in the USA to Samuel Bemis. Bemis was one of America's first photographers. This camera is now shown at the George Eastman House museum. It is known as the first photographic camera in the United States.
Gouraud also wrote an important article. It was called A Description of the Daguerreotype Process. This article explained how to use the new camera. It even included tips for taking pictures of people.
Touring the United States
Gouraud traveled all over the northeastern USA. In 1842, he was in Buffalo, New York. He sold cameras to many people, including Samuel Morse. Morse was the inventor of the telegraph. He had become interested in photography after meeting Daguerre in Paris in 1839.
A Memory Master
Later in the 1840s, Gouraud helped improve the Mnemonic major system. This is a special technique used to remember long numbers easily. It connects numbers to sounds and words.
His Family's Legacy
François Gouraud died young, at only 39 years old, in Brooklyn in 1847. His wife had passed away just a month before him. This left their two children, George and Clemence, without parents.
His son, George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912), grew up to be a colonel. He even received the Medal of Honor for his bravery. Like his father, George also worked with new inventions. He became Thomas Edison's agent in London. In 1888, he brought Edison's new Phonograph cylinder audio recording technology to England. This was a big step in recording sound!
His daughter, Clemence Emma Gouraud (1838–1913), married a reverend and poet named Horatio Nelson Powers in 1857.
