A Tiny Earring, Sixth Plate Dag

SO DARN SMALL! Why would such a ruggedly handsome fellow select an earring that was nearly invisible? Was he concerned that if he sent his retaped sixth plate daguerreotype home to mother, that she would immediately toss it out into the muddy rutted road that passed by their rural homestead where he was raised? Although the very freckled fellow dressed fashionably for the daguerreian, I can’t help but notice those massive hands and that pinky ring. Certainly that unusual vest he wore might indicate that he was a sailor. I believe that bright speck on the right side of his jaw line was a second slice of his other earring reflecting excellent light that perfectly illuminated his face. The luminous patina and tinting on the tablecloth accentuate his exquisitely aged likeness that is kept in the bottom of a leather case.