Sixth Plate

ONE OF HIS EARLIEST! A robust chap visited one of John Plumbe’s locations circa 1841, either in Boston or in my town, Exeter NH. The operator here was Ezra Chase from the neighboring town of Kensington. The subject received an astounding sixth plate daguerreotype. He had been sharply focused, expertly lit and perfectly posed. Forget about the haziness, the thick tarnish and spotting. Look beyond the flaws at one of the triumphs on silver taken during the very early era. The use of a wide opening oval brass mat, boldly stamped ?PLUMBE? in the lower right corner left no doubt about the studio responsible for the masterpiece. This lad?s face had lifelike dimensionality rarely seen this early in the evolution of the daguerreotype. The overall patina almost toned his flesh perfectly. John Plumbe was certainly known for his excellence at the beginning of the age of daguerreotypy, yet this example with light entering the space from both sides and the detail and depth in the fellow?s face was truly extraordinary! His portrait remains in a primitive wooden framed that has a brass loop at the top. The heavy plate was cut square from a larger piece of rolled stock and had no hallmark. While the four corners were squared off, the flat sides were slightly beveled, which was certainly unusual.