Half Plate

THAT WAS A FACE . . . on the tiny brooch the august gentleman wore pinned to his snow-white shirt! Your first question should be, “Well then, WHO was the subject?” At this moment in daguerreian time, I am unable to answer with certainty! A master technician made the bold black and white portrait in a large 4 x 5 inch size, which is almost a half plate, with an expertise in lighting and composition too. The copper was electroplated with an extra layer of silver. Since the man’s initial preparation was excellent and the contrast was absolutely superlative, the deep depth is nearly holographic. The more I examine that face and the fellow’s bearing, I know his identity is going to magically appear in my mind. Fast forward 45 minutes later after looking at identified and unknown faces, hundreds of them from several sources, my instant of identifiable inspiration has faded into the murkiness of my mind. Drat say I. The next collector can take up the crusade to name the man! As seen in my reproduction, there are plenty of mold spiders and spotty tarnish near the edges of the oval opening brass mat. Another hand resealed the piece and left teeny dust particles that are doubled. The thin preserver was cut down from a half plate and fitted in pieces. A superlative leather push button case, now without the hinge intact, with plain covers and an unadorned rich deep red velvet pad finishes the package.