Sixth Plate

A PROPER INTRODUCTION! ?Charles R. Hicks age 32 years? was written in brown ink on a piece of paper kept underneath his close up sixth plate daguerreotype inside a complete leather case first used circa late 1841. The sophistication of the likeness was remarkable. Intense direct light lit Hicks from the right and a large white reflector along with the highlights from the window brightness were captured in his eyes. Heavy buff strokes suggest that the operator?s polishing techniques hadn?t been completely done to perfection when he moved his camera quite close to his patron Charles. What an outstanding face! The tinting looks better in hand of course. The plate had teeny clipped corners and flat sides. Erin didn?t note a hallmark when she did the reseal. I suspect that Mr. Hicks was taken in the first half of 1843. The degree of expertise that would have been required at the moment of truth was rather astounding!!! There weren?t many professional daguerreians capable of such mastery so soon after the end of the experimental period. A few mat scrapes and mold spiders are on the surface, which has amazing reflected depth. Thick patina adds to the natural vignetting behind Hicks? head.