I saw this beautiful daguerreotype on Facebook today and knew I had to share it. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the lovely lady in the photo or where it came from. My guess is maybe Ebay? I believe it dates to the late 1840s or early 1850s based on her hairstyle. Her lace mitts are an accessory that was also very popular around that same time period.
Daguerreotypes were first invented around 1837 by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. This type of photography was very popular until the 1850s when other processes such as ambrotypes and later tintypes replaced it. Daguerreotypes were produced on a polished silver surface so they are very reflective, like a mirror. The process make them very fragile so you often see them in small protective cases.
For additional information take a look at The Daguerreian Society's website. The society has a large searchable database of daguerreotypes. And for fun, although they are not all daguerreotypes, check out the site My Daguerreotype Boyfriend on Tumblr. You'll be glad you did. ;)
Wow, that reminds me very much of a photograph of my great-great-great-grandmother Jenny Burns: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60027918@N02/5932561801/in/set-72157627059266711
ReplyDelete(For her story, I wrote about her on my blog here: http://sandishistory.blogspot.com/2013/03/fearless-females-march-2-jenny-burns.html)
She was such an absolutely lovely woman. I believe I've seen this portrait before, as I just got a sense of deja vu of remembering that her face reminds me a bit of gal I worked with many years ago.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica