Quarter Plate

AN INSPIRED MAN! Sure, I could be referring to the elegant and rather handsome sitter who was expertly taken by a highly skilled master of daguerreotypy, but I will give much of the credit to the man’s maker who definitely had a vision when he posed his client. Notice that the subject was a rather vertical guy to begin with. He was undoubtedly tall with an angular face topped off by that stack of thick curly hair. The resealed quarter plate format permitted his tight bust likeness to soar inside the fine oval brass mat. I could say he actually floated on a manufactured cloud vignette. Having the gentleman turn away from his lens, the daguerreotypist narrowed the fellow’s shoulders, which accentuated his finely hand tinted bearded face. After examining him top to bottom, it is his eyes that are totally mesmerizing; making me want to enter the frame with him and view what he was watching. There is spotty tarnish, one minuscule green speck, minor mat marks and a single 1/2 inch line near the bottom that could be a scratch, although it is difficult to see. Faint brown specks are on his face, which probably are caused by pigment degradations. The brown plain leather push button case with exterior brass hinges is still sumptuous. Pressed into the purple pad opposite the man is an elaborate leaf and floral design. The reflected depth is impressive.