Sixth Plate

WHY WAS ONE PANT CUFF . . . Rolled up higher then the other one my inquiring mind wants to know? Aren?t those the best pair of trousers you have ever seen? And the fellow wore a well-used white shirt and a fancy straw hat rounded with a ribbon, that many would equate with a sailor. Freckles covered the chap?s face and the backs of his hands too. A wrinkled handkerchief stuffed into a side pocket was also partially visible. The serious fellow hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his beltless pants. He bobbed his head as did his companion while the lens was uncapped. Before leaving him, please look closely at the second scan. Might that have been the portion of a tattoo underneath the cloth? It was definitely part of his skin and not a flaw in the resealed sixth plate. The guy on the right looks more like a friendly dandy until his hand that rested on his companion?s shoulder is closely examined. He too was definitely a hard working kinda man. Don?t you wonder what the occasion was that moved the two subjects to pose for their daguerreotype? When I initially saw the piece, I thought that might have been a second camera seen in the lower right corner but hidden by the brass mat. Casey assured me it wasn?t when he saw the naked plate. Almost full frontal illumination was used to light the duo. There are mold spiders, dried water droplets and a few brown spots on the richly reflective silver. There also is a sizeable crimp on the knee of the fellow on the right. The buff marks go in all directions inside the scalloped shaped accumulation of patina. A complete leather case protects the gents!