Sixth Plate

PRIMLY PROPER! Was it fashionable in the late 1840s for a young woman to be seated before a daguerreian?s camera and uncover one of her shoulders while the man worked to capture her countenance on a sixth plate that retains old if not original seals? The effect certainly was visually interesting, especially since his subject sat so upright and composed. Her deep-set dark eyes were focused away from the lens. The gal?s large lips were closed and she held a small folded parasol in one hand. A slender metallic band was on a finger. Dark blue tarnish is closest to the oval brass mat while pale patina moves more towards the lass. The doubled spots mean that the debris is on the old glass and there is a layer of filth also that diminishes the sharpness and contrast. Mold spiders wouldn?t disappear even after conservation. There are three large dimples in the silver and a crease. Those probably happened when the daguerreotypist clamped the naked plate too aggressively during his polishing process. The leather case is complete.