Sixth Plate

A DIFFICULT GUESS! Her drawn in face reveals the toils of a life filled with hardships. However, was this woman REALLY as old as those hands appear to be? Without examining the bottom portion of the retaped sixth sized likeness I would have offered to say the subject’s age was mid-40s at the most. Now I wonder. She visited a maker on the move that didn’t even bother straightening his backcloth by pulling it taut across a wall or frame. Using a narrow beam of light and a large reflector the daguerreian did successfully isolate the lady and in effect he made her the center of attention. Excellent contrast, fine tonality and impressive deep depth created a surprisingly solid image. Except for a few mat marks and a couple tarnish lines down low, the surface is splendid. A leather case bottom doesn’t have a cover.