Sixth Plate

IT WAS BLUE . . . Once upon a time before someone decided to clean the family’s wonderful newly taped sixth plate portrait, taken by S. B. Barnaby who operated a gallery in Dayton OH circa 1846-1857. With that length of longevity, his patrons obviously deemed him a successful daguerreian. Even after the silver was altered, the pleasant parents with their rambunctious babe still shine brightly. The marks on the child’s face were caused by brush strokes during the initial tinting process. Yes, once again I will tell you all, the first thing to be diminished are the colors on a portrait, THEN the tarnish, regardless of what method (and none of them are recommended) is used to clean the surface. Oxidation has reformed around the trio along with specks, flecks and mold spiders. I accidentally saw a nearly invisible rub above mom’s head. I have no clue what caused the marks on her left hand that gripped her offspring. Fine contrast and superb holographic depth remain. “S. B. Barnaby Artist Dayton Ohio” was stamped on the brass mat. The leather case is in two parts.