Quarter Plate

PSYCHEDELIC FLOOR COVERING! All of you reading this particular description that came of age in the 60’s or early 70’s SAW carpets like this example once or twice, right? However, you didn’t observe one like it in a remarkable resealed quarter plate dag did you? Sometimes the Brothers Williamson in Brooklyn used their very talented artistic palettes to create surreal scenes inside their studio. I purchased this particular portrait, along with 66 other daguerreotypes produced by Charles and Edward Williamson in 2001. On the outside cover of the worn intact leather case, “Williamson Bro Brooklyn NY” was embossed in a fancy cartouche in the center. The lad leaned on that bare tabletop and stood at attention for the cameraman. Strangely enough, for pieces from the Williamsons, he seems soft while the table is sharper. I don’t really believe that the boy moved during the exposure. It does present us with an even more curious likeness. Maybe one of the brothers thought of adding all those colors to shift the attention from their subject to their carpet “and the parents who were paying” wouldn’t realize anything was amiss. Obviously the silver has never been altered. The contrast and holographic depth were meant to impress anyone who viewed the image. There are a few brown spots and patina that has floated wildly away from the scalloped mat opening. I should mention that the belt around the child’s waist, secured to the vertical headstand post, was most likely used to hold him in place.