Sixth Plate

TOBACCO BROWN. The old man wore a double-breasted wool vest and heavier Pea coat when he posed for this resealed sixth plate daguerreotype that was framed inside a dark paper mat embellished with a golden Arabesque design. The man’s face and flesh were deeply tanned from years of exposure to the sun, salt and sea. I wonder what position he might have served on a whaler based in New Bedford or Nantucket? His lips were tightly clenched. Those piercing eyes were hooded by lids accustomed to punishment from nature’s cruelest elements. The lighting was magnificent, creating depth in his weather beaten face. The contrast was also quite acceptable. However, it was his sharply focused hand and fingers grasping the edge of the table covered with a cloth that keep vying for my attention. Although there is tarnish slanting across the gent’s forehead, some spots left after decaying glass was discarded and teeny specks (that are difficult to see) I still love the ancient mariner’s likeness. His original complete leather case is a rare combination of two signed Pretlove designs. The cover is a delicate roses theme while the reverse has a large diamond in the center surrounded by filigree.