Four Civil-War Era Daguerreotypes, Great for Display!

Four beautiful daguerreotypes produced just before or during the Civil War. Ranging from youths to the elderly, the images show a great variety of subjects from the period. Includes:

Sixth Plate, measuring 2.75" x 3.25", No place, undated. A young brunette woman, seated and dressed in a plaid skirt. Her hair is styled in two large buns at the sides of her head. Blush has also been added to her cheeks. Housed in a leather-bound wooden case.

Sixth Plate, measuring 2.75" x 3.25", No place, undated. An elderly woman photographed wearing a white lace bonnet. Housed in a leather-bound wooden case.

Ninth Plate, measuring 2" x 2.5", No place, undated. An image of a teenage or young woman, dressed in a dark striped dress, with her arm resting on a small side table. Housed in a cloth-covered wooden case, with the front cover having become separated.

Ninth Plate, measuring 2" x 2.5", No place, undated. An image of a young male youth, dressed in a three-piece suit with a plaid vest and a checked tie. Housed in a thermoplastic case.

Expected wear to the cases, with scratches, bumping to the edges, and bent frames. Minor imperfections to the photographs. The thermoplastic case has been cracked, with a chipped bottom edge that has missing material.

The daguerreotype process was developed by Louis Daguerre in 1839. A piece of silver-plated copper was coated in light-sensitive chemicals, which created the photographic image when exposed to light in the camera. The delicate metal would be placed under glass for protection and display. Ambrotypes were created through a similar process, the difference being that while a daguerreotype produced a positive image seen under glass, ambrotypes produced a negative image that became visible when the glass was backed by black material. An easy way to tell the difference between the two types is to remember that daguerreotypes are backed by silver, while ambrotypes are backed by a piece of glass painted black. The daguerreotype also appears to be on a mirror, so when viewing it at an angle the dark areas are silver. For an ambrotype, the dark areas remain dark even at an angle.

In the 1850s, Samuel Peck developed a new material made from shellac and wood fiber that became known as "thermoplastic". The material could be heated and molded and was quickly adopted for use in making cases for tintypes, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes. These hinged cases were dubbed "Union Cases" by Peck, referring to the union of shellac and wood (not, as many have supposed, to the Union force in the Civil War). They grew in popularity due to being more substantial than their wood and leather counterparts, and because of the intricate and aesthetically pleasing designs that could be featured on the front and back.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!