“TAKEN AT WELLS . . . Oct. 1850 Dr. Hampton.”

That information was written in the bottom of the young gent’s repaired sixth plate leather case. My question is obvious, was the subject a doctor or was his maker not only a man of medicine but also an experimenter in the the fine art of crafting daguerreotypes? I am leaning towards the latter, although I have been unable to find any daguerreian reference to a “Dr. Hampton” taking dags. I’m assuming the location was Wells, Maine. Solid craftsmanship is exhibited in this resealed portrait. The essence of the soulful subject certainly was obvious as he sat sideways on a small chair, whose back acted as a resting place for the gent’s wrist. A solid base was created by the strong horizontal flow of his lower arm. The tarnish and mat scrapes aren’t bothersome and that white mark on the right was a piece of lint trapped under the gold chloride. Red blush was added to the man’s cheeks. Excellent tonality and contrast were accomplished.