“WILLIAM F. STEPHENSON . . . When he was a baby in his mother’s lap” was written on a folded piece of paper that came with their fine dag. How?s that for proper identification? The bright mark on the left seems to have been a piece of lint trapped in the gold chloride layer. That mold spider grew over time. There is delightful patina inside the fancy scalloped brass mat that follows the shape as if it had been drawn. The leather case has a broken hinge. I must add something about the tremendous depth and fine tinting. Also, the camera was focused on William. Asking the woman to turn in semi-profile and look up was a stroke of genius. The illumination was fantastic! The pick work on her golden jewelry was done with a very steady hand. The restored sixth plate shimmers!
