I GUESS . . . That one could argue in favor of the step effect of the chair finials that would cause an admirer to look directly at the fellow’s face chiseled and formed from a chunk of granite in this retaped sixth plate daguerreotype, but for me, that would be a copout, since the maker could have done better to mask his furniture. Only those freckles indicate that the gent, whose piercing eyes reflected the studio light, was taken from life and was not a piece of well-dressed statuary! Removing the detached cover of his leather case revealed an astoundingly sharp, extremely reflective and wonderfully aged portrait. There were some harsh buff marks in places and one small dig in the silver above the furniture in the backdrop. The patina is colorful and luminescent! Very pale red tint was added to his lips and cheeks. Gold was painted on his watch fob. With each viewing the gentleman becomes more familiar and desirable!
