Sixth Plate

A VERY CURIOUS SHAPE! “C. H. Williamson Brooklyn” was impressed against the left side of this oddly shaped sixth sized brass mat. Even without the operator’s imprint, I would have guessed with 100% accuracy that the archivally sealed piece was a product of that studio. The overall appearance of Williamson daguerreotypes was ?different? on a consistent basis. The blacks simply couldn’t be richer. The silvery blue gray darker tonality was almost unique to the Williamson operation. The perfectly oval midnight vignette was one of their trademarks. The placement of their subjects on the silvery mirrors was easily recognizable and then there WAS that mat style. I believe that no one else in the entire industry copied that outline. Naturally, I saved the best for last. The Williamson style in posing, lighting and tinting was emulated by many but on a daily basis, no one excelled with such perfection! The application of color is much more vibrant when the woman is admired in hand. The push button leather case has a detached hinge. There are a couple mold spiders. This portrait was a resounding success!