Sixth Plate

GOLLY . . . That girl on the left, who held tightly onto her friend’s hand, was eager to be daguerreotyped in sixth plate size. Unfortunately, when her youthful exuberance was recorded on their archivally taped likeness, she moved her head while that smile was forming on her lips. The other stoic gal remained completely focused and stared directly at the man making their image. Both girls wore large looped earrings; diamond studded brooches and wedding bands. Do you think . . .? Nope this was taken in the late 1840s and women back then didn’t . . . did they? They both were probably recently married to handsome gents and they wanted the image as a remembrance. Color was added to their faces and hands. That harsh line in the gal’s dress on the left was a buff stroke artifact. There is also a brown tarnish circle on her sleeve. The likeness has remarkable tonality and wonderful reflected depth. The leather case is in two parts.