Sixth Plate

A DETERMINED MAN! Most all of the tiniest white specks can?t be seen when this holographic masterpiece of rural excellence is viewed in hand. I have never owned such a remarkable angry young man armed with a double-barreled shotgun and sharply honed axe. He was not a casual Sunday hunter for sure. This chap was accustomed to stalking game and maybe men in the harshest environments. His deeply tanned and wind burned complexion loudly suggested that he was out of doors most of his life. Obviously, he was completely ignorant about wearing a proper fashion ensemble! That dark mark on his chin appears to have been a healed scar, maybe an inadvertent nick from his hatchet? The strength and power of the fellow actually resonates right off the conserved sixth plate?s glowing silvery surface as he is tentatively admired when the complete leather case is opened. I was surprised to see a thin coil of lovely auburn tinted hair underneath the dag. Opposite his countenance is an unmarked faded red silk pad. The subject sat in front of a camera in a very tiny room. Equal illumination from windows on both sides streamed brightly into the space. I can?t emphasis enough the remarkable quality of the portrait. Only brief mat marks and a line from the patina lower right are visible faults. This image presents us with a remarkable glimpse of an American fully outfitted for the tasks presented to him! A very rare glimpse back in time circa 1848. I wondered WHY the woodsman wore his watch key dangling from a string, so prominently displayed on his vest. Then I made a closer observation and I realized that a tiny daguerreotype was visible. Maybe it was his wife or lover and the hair in the case was hers. Such an unusual sentimentality shown by this very rugged character!