Sixth Plate

RATHER INTERESTING. I removed this sixth plate dag from the bottom of a leather case that had been embossed with a military motif on both covers. The top is detached. Under the likeness of a mom and her babe was a yellow piece of paper with the outline of an oval brass mat, not longer present. Very curious I thought. The portrait was originally sealed with pieces of a newspaper that have been saved. I think the swirling lines on the surface were partially caused by the original process. While the woman stared directly into the lens, her offspring seemed stunned by the procedure and also afraid of whoever was attempting to attract his attention. There is one brown stain on the woman reflective white lace collar and another on the left in the darkness of the daguerreian frosting in the blackness of the background.