Quarter Plate

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! If ever a man taken in quarter plate size circa 1851 by Samuel Broadbent, most likely in his newly outfitted base of operations at 136 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia, resembled a powerful person accustomed to having everyone heed his words, don’t you think that this fellow would have been the one? Broadbent could easily be near the top of the first tier of daguerreotypists on his best days. His signature painted scene was ever changing and always nicely hand tinted upon completion of his best work. I just removed the piece from a lovely complete leather case to see if the original seals were intact. Someone else broke them and probably lightly cleaned the silver since the hand-applied colors aren’t as vibrant as I have seen in other excellent examples. Low and behold an inscription on a small scrap of paper identified the gent as: “John Saltar of Tacony (a historic neighborhood about 10 miles northeast of downtown Philadelphia) aged about 70”. Mr. Saltar was obviously well heeled when he trekked south from his Mansion most likely on the Delaware River into the center of the city to sit in front of Broadbent’s camera. The sharpness of focus permits us to take an in depth journey across the peaks and valleys of Saltar?s craggy face. The definition was amplified because light lit him from high on the left side and a small reflector lessened any harsh shadows. Since the plate slid inside the mat I couldn?t hide all of the scrapes that are strongest near his shoulder. New glass and an archival seal will keep Saltar safe for future generations to enjoy. One brown dot and a couple teeny ones mar the holographic mirror. This astounding character study sits inside a complete leather case.