Sixth Plate

DON?T MESS WITH ME! A true western gunslinger seeking his fame and fortune in California posed for his sixth plate June 13 1853. He proudly displayed his new shining spurs and tucked into his belt was a trusty six-shooter, likely a Colt. William F. Freeman wore a typical 49ers style shirt. His hat was rather uncommon. I should mention that I believe this is the only known dag or ambro presenting a person showing off a set of spurs! William also wore a sash type belt that I have seen in other portraits of gold miners and western men alike. I love the eagerness in his gaze, but also somewhere there, I can see he wasn’t a man to be trifled with. I must mention that I recently acquired this dag from a restoration client because of a very minor point of exfoliation above his right eye. That white spot is literally a piece of the image gone missing. I will confidently say that the likeness is stable now as there was no other evidence of exfoliation on the silver. However, the surface is not without further flaws. They were from the original process. Oxidation is also visible. The unknown daguerreian, who used a piece of his broadside to seal the dag (see second scan please) was travelling and working in the gold fields. He would not have been able to control his entire dag making operations as easily as if he had been in a permanent location. Only the bottom of the leather case remains.