IMAGINE OUR EXCITEMENT . . . When Casey and I studied the object in those gnarled hands! Surely the daguerreotypist must have given the old woman his lens cap (we thought) in an effort to keep her fingers from moving during the exposure. Why were her tired hands so much darker then her facial flesh tones? Rainbow patina is certainly masking part of one of them. Looking at the white cuffs and her day cap and the tonality of her dress and over mantle indicates that there wasn t fall off in the illumination. Back to the object, which is easier to examine after an archival seal had been completed. I think there was an image of a younger female wearing an off the shoulder dress and that the subject was actually holding a round two-part box or tin. Could it have contained tobac and THAT S why her hands had a brown earthy hue? Honestly though, the movement of her face and her glazed over eyes speak to me. She obviously was a kindly soul who was escorted to a gallery where her sixth plate was produced. The blue UFO s are actually brown in the negative. The remainder of the tiny dots isn t a problem. The surface is very holographic. The whole leather case has some wear.
