Sixth Plate

ALMOST COMICAL! These brothers were escorted to a daguerreotypist, circa 1846, who was quite capable of capturing their image on a restored sixth size plate. While his polishing technique wasn’t completely perfected he did convince the boys to pose thusly. It must have been rather uncomfortable for both of them. The younger chap listed towards his sibling who had an arm across his shoulder while they held hands. Of course, wanting to stand out, beyond his wonderful attire, the older fellow sat rigid and leaned away from his mate. Those strong vertical folds in the traveling man’s backcloth created delightful visible depth. If you look closely on the right side, where a window was located to provide excellent light, a sliver of wallpaper was also visible. Close to the youngsters on the opposite side was a floor to ceiling white reflector. When the orange cover of their rare professionally repaired leather case is opened, the astounding directness and magnificent condition are instantly apparent. I can?t over emphasize the clarity and impact of this stupendous childhood token!