Sixth Plate

POTENTIALLY DISRUPTIVE! Of course this child, who cast a wary glance at the daguerreian while he was making this recently re-cleaned and archivally restored sixth plate gem, was a boy. As you all know, lads commonly wore dresses until approximately age five in the daguerreian era. Those coiled ringlets were also fashionable for young boys. Sitting on a cloth draped posing table and resting his arm on that classical column supported the kid’s tiny body nicely. I wish we could have seen more of that straw hat with the plaid ribbon. The studio where the tot was taken contained a skylight, hence the brilliant depth that was achieved. Those expressive eyes could have drilled tiny holes through bricks on another day. This child must have been hard to harness once off the posing prop. I wonder if his parents had to bribe him with a treat after the ordeal was over? All those white specks were defects in the silver surface that shimmers and shines. They are invisible when admiring the remarkable likeness. A book style complete leather case with a broad brass latch finishes the presentation.