Sixth Plate

BOSTON?S FINEST! A classic example of a portrait by Southworth & Hawes, kept in a classic black leather push button case. The lady has a blemish on her cheek and wicked faint marks at the bottom in the patina and vignette. The drape she wore was delicately tinted pale blue, as seen in many other examples by them. Their use of soft focus, which they devised by painting the inside of their camera with different shades of gray to diffuse the light yet still allow sharpness was a brilliant conception. The lass was lit from the partners? skylight creating a delicate balance of light and shade on her lovely face. The depth they were able to exhibit and their truly painterly poses surpassed most every other daguerreian with great consistency. Her marvelous sixth plate has been archivally prepared.