Sixth Plate

ONLY THE FLOWERS. The lad between his sisters didn’t move but his face is soft because of an inferior lens. Don’t you love the painted bouquet of flowers? Really, the only portion of their archivally prepared sixth plate gem that received added color beyond some rouge on the kids’ cheeks. That crooked seam in the creased cloth behind them tells me that their maker was a man on the move. He had almost equal intensity light entering the small space from either side of the sitters. Consequently, there are very few shadows, but the contrast and range of tones is still excellent. The older sister held her brother’s hand yet I don’t think he was at risk to fly away while the operator produced his work. He and she watched the daguerreian with a normal amount of interest while their sibling, who held an open book, had startled wide eyes. I wonder why? Perfect condition (with a couple stray polishing marks in the tarnish on the right) and a fluid surface as the piece is rotated add to the magic. The bottom of a leather case remains.