Sixth Plate

LITTLE DARLINGS. The sisters were identified in a penciled scrip on a small lined piece of paper as: “Martha & Almira Breckenridge ages 8 & 9”. The scrap was placed underneath the duo in their separated sixth plate leather case. The silk opposite the children is faded and torn. The design on the cover, a bold diamond shape surrounded by an Arabesque motif is quite unusual. The reverse was plain. The sisters? portrait has new glass and a professional archival seal done by Casey in 2007. Martha, if she were the lass on the left had a direct expression and her eyes might have questioned the visit. But her sibling, Almira, was rather shy don?t you think? Their mother decided to clothe them identically. Their maker tinted cheeks and lips but saved the brightest application of pigments for that tablecloth. Curiously there is a large mold spider near each gal?s head. Mat abrasions are just inside the edges of the brass mat stamped with a lovely honeycomb design. This is an adorable record of cunning little girls.