Sixth Plate

PLEASINGLY PRETTY! Where might a retaped sixth plate of the young mother alone be kept? Isn’t she lovely within the ovals of patina that surround her and that tough little son of hers? I like the mom’s very amiable expression that contrasts with the lad’s face; showing disdain for the entire process, down to the thumb hooked into his sagging waistline. Naturally we know that the operator suggested that pose so the boy wouldn’t move that hand and mother took care of the other one. She also clamped a hand on his shoulder and pulled him against her thigh. Their pose is so well constructed that is looks natural. Kudos to the daguerreotypist because he also managed to make the woman relax. He probably watched her son waltz into his studio and knew that less was better when dealing with the demonstrative youth. After finishing the plate he used a full palette of hues to color their skin tones. Blue was added to the lady’s ribbons while the child’s tunic received red and gold. The brown spots on his skin were caused by a deterioration of the pigments and thankfully are barely noticeable. I’m not quite certain about the white dots. Good reflected depth adds life to the pair who are held in an above average common leather case.