Quarter Plate

HIS HAND! I was thinking about using the tin snips (now don’t any of you get the same idea because it has already been done unfortunately) to trim around the boy’s perfectly composed hand and make a 1/32nd plate. Then sanity and fair play attacked my brain and I will offer the entire daguerreotype, showing he and his siblings seated horizontally for their quarter plate portrait that was taken circa 1846. The sisters wore matching dresses that mother might have sewn. They both watched the unknown operator intently while he produced an adequate remembrance on a newly sealed silver surface. The exposure and/or chemistry were off that day yet the three kids still retain a vibrancy that impressed me as I recently made their acquaintances. The boy’s bowtie was outstanding. His pale eyes were also focused on the camera. The intense stare of the oldest child was rather chilling! Mold spiders and faint lines course across the surface in places. The latter are nearly invisible. Buffing was also done in both directions. A nice intact leather case completes the package.