Sixth Plate

SURELY A 49ER! Here is a sixth plate daguerreotype taken circa 1849-1850 most likely in California during the first two years of the gold rush. That lovely red and gold embellishment on the man?s shirt was done the day he was taken. Neither Casey nor I have a clue what the significance was unless he was a part of an organization. The stitching on that heavy woolen or cotton shirt plus all those gold colored buttons and his sleeves gathered at the cuffs are very fascinating too. Some of the debris on the surface of the restored likeness was grit trapped in the gold chloride. That certainly suggests that he was taken ?in the field? by an itinerant daguerreian. The handsome gent was taken in sharp focus. One of his hands moved during the exposure. Both of them exhibited wear and tear from hard manual labor. The full leather case has a reglued spine. There is oxidation inside the mat.