MUM’S THE WORD. I shared the resealed sixth plate with a long time friend and collector of fine daguerreotypes and this was her reply, “This lovely portrait has a classic 1858 look. The girl looks to be no more than 16. I notice her hands are pale and unmarked from any outdoor labor, which means this was the daughter of a middle class family who probably lived in a city. Her looser, softer hairstyle became popular in the late 1850s. The rather extreme pagoda sleeves with the white under sleeves shows she was a very fashion-conscious young lady of the late 1850s. Only the bodice seems a bit too long for the styles of late 50’s, so I wonder if this wasn’t a dress originally created around 1851 (perhaps for an older sister) and remade with more fashionable sleeves after 1856.” I was thinking the perfectly aged lass, whose jewelry was painted with gold, had a secret to keep and desired this likeness to “seal her lips”! Her leather case had an old hinge repair.
