week3-Topic1 Supervening Necessity

"…supervening social necessity now works on these prototypes to move them out of the laboratory into the world at large." (Winston)

As I want do a little research in digital photography, I found a good example which talks about the supervening necessity of photography from French to US.

The effects of the French Revolution and the Industrial revolution (1789-1914) reverberated throughout Europe for many decades. Massive economic and social changes were taking place in Europe. As a cultural trend, the spread of science ran through the entire continent. In France, the existing monarchy was dethroned and supplanted by the rising bourgeoisie. The intellectual bourgeoisie were the most forward thinking representatives of the government and open to new possibilities. They had an abiding faith in human potential and were receptive to not only scientific innovations, but also new business ventures. Through Daguerre's persistence, the daguerreotype process soon came to their attention. Francois Arago, leader of the government's left-wing democratic party, stood by his party's platform of encouraging anything that might lead to progress. He saw the daguerreotype as an immensely important scientific achievement. Arago is successful in convincing the government to buy the new process for the state and introduce it to the public.

Daguerre, himself, can also be seen as an agent of supervening social necessity. He was an ambitious and clever entrepreneur and his persistence in making his daguerreotype system known and acknowledged in bourgeoisie society contributed to his prototype being accepted.

Once photography was introduced publicly and taken, by Daguerrre, to the United States, the US contributed as an agent of supervening social necessity. The social structure of the US was critical in the photograph's success in America. In the mid-1800s, America did not have a rigidly stratified society like Europe. Success was supposedly possible through initiative, hard work and an entrepreneurial drive. America was also rapidly shifting from an agricultural to industry by embracing many new technical advances from refrigeration to mass production. This new nation had a proud, pioneering spirit and photography soon caught on as not only an exciting business opportunity, but also as a way to preserve and promote its achievements. 'Daguerrean Parlours' proliferated across America in the mid 1800s.

From idea to product, there is a long long way for all inventers. After searching many examples, I think that create something workable and catch the trend is the most important task.

There is an old Chinese saying goes that “Only through the right timing, the right location and the right people can a person get succeed.” Maybe it exactly talks about the “supervening necessity.”