Sixth Plate

COULD SHE HAVE BEEN . . . Any lovelier in life? This is a postmortem masterwork that happens to have been done in sixth plate size on a resealed plate that is still perfect! The adolescence girl had been gently laid to rest inside a dark wooden coffin lined with delicate white silk that was gathered on the sides. For the purpose of making the remembrance and completely isolating the person inside the oval brass mat, the daguerreotypist hung a folded piece of drapery well behind the subject. Magical light entered the space from above on the left; so perfectly directed that it created a marvelous dimensional feeling. The natural magnificent reflected depth from the polished mirror added to the excellence of the artifact that is held in a complete leather case. The pale tinting on the girl?s face and the lack of rich patina suggests to me that the silver might have been cleaned years ago. Please don?t let that thought dissuade or disappoint you from adding the likeness to your collection. Although the buff strokes are a bit heavy, the impact of the portrait swells to a never-ending crescendo each time I have looked upon her.