Sixth Plate

POISED AND BEAUTIFUL! How often have you held a restored sixth plate daguerreotype in a complete leather case where the subject is so compelling that you want him or her to either travel into your space or find a way to return in time? This immaculate coiffured and clothed female creature with her soft lips and come-hither eyes reeled me in the instant I saw her. While the maker might remain anonymous forever more, does it really matter? He placed her likeness on the plate with perfection. Delicate tinting was applied to her face and the flowers she held. Two loose rose petals on her dress were also colored. Talk about attention to tiny details! The woman’s posture, by leaning forward away from the chair’s padded back and tilting her regal head back ever so slightly, was pure inspiration suggested by the daguerreian most likely. There are two faint fingerprints at ten and one o’clock that are mostly masked by the tarnish. Those horizontal lines with the black shapes were most likely faults from the polishing process. Two slender scratches on the bottom of the portrait blend into her elaborate dress.