Ninth Plate

NEVER TOUCHED! Her oval ninth plate dag is tightly bound with the original paper seals. She certainly must have been an attractive woman in different circumstances but you know, her melancholy expression, that black head piece with the long dark ribbon and the midnight bow worn beneath her chin all indicate to me, at least, that the lady was mourning a recently departed family member, maybe even her husband. Obviously she was taken in a gallery that was outfitted with the finest lighting scheme and the maker’s technical skills can easily be seen in this remarkable portrait. Pale application of rouge added a bit of color to what might have otherwise been her starker white facial reality in this remembrance of a loved one. Since the subject selected a heavy fur to wear while being daguerreotyped, we can ascertain that the likeness was made in the winter months. The keepsake is held in a complete black leather case with a white silk pad inside.