Coates 1844

Mr. Coates is a mysterious person who seems to have disappeared, even his first name can't be found. Most people believe he was a photographer but I have searched the internet & directories of Cincinnati and only found a chemist named Coates. If you have any information about him please contact us.

Did “chemical paintings” refer to the paint or the process? In 1993, Joseph D. Ketner suggested that the compositions were created on light-sensitive surfaces and were allowed to develop under the auditorium lights with dramatic contrasts of lights and darks. They would have to be a reversible effect if they used the same canvases repeatedly. I discovered that they did use canvas, Ketner described, “With each of the images, the darkened auditorium was gradually illuminated, causing lighting effects in the pictures that thrilled the crowds.” So, front light on the composition caused the change? Ketner was much more fascinated with the collaborative aspect than the process, suggesting that was one of the earliest collaborations between a painter and a photographer in the United States.

These are examples of this type of work from Cincinnati 1843 found in 2006. Robert Winter Jr. was the proprietor of four “Chemical Paintings” that toured the country.

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