Sixth Plate

AN UNUSUAL ANGLE. Sure the baby was smiling because someone stood near the camera that produced the retaped sixth plate and made either happy faces or cooing noises to get the child?s attention. Mom had already dressed her offspring in a white Christening dress and then decided a daguerreotype should be taken. She also created a hair sculpture on top of the babe?s head. A pillow had been placed behind the kid and a thin leather strap was attached on either side of that wonderful prop with the iron clad wooden spoke wheels. I contend that the small vertical object on the child?s clothes was a tiny buggy whip. WHY would ANYONE bother to include that in this dag? Daguerreian frosting fills the darkest area with teeny white dots. Tremendous deep depth will immediately impress the next owner of the image that has a complete leather case. There are old mat scrapes across the bottom mostly hidden by oxidation. The flotsam and jetsam on the surface are superfluous.