Sixth plate daguereotype. Half leatherette case. Anonymous artist.

An impressive daguerreotype that dates to the Mexican War era. This portrait foreshadows the many soldiers who some 15 years later would flock to local photographers and pose in a similarly formidable manner with a bowie knife- the iconic symbol of southern military resistance.

Armed with both his knife and a “boot” pistol, he casts a wide-eyed expression directly towards the camera's lens. He wears a tight-fitting shell jacket that appears to be made of dense felt wool, and both his sidearm and the sheath for his knife are tucked behind a wide belt. This jacket appears to be lined with a striped fabric, an interesting detail revealed by the rolled sleeves. Also of interest is the leather glove on his right hand; for reasons unknown he clutches the knife in his opposite, bare hand.

The portrait is well-composed. There is no brass keeper present to keep glass, mat, and plate together, a practice consistent with daguerreotypes produced during the period.








[Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, Carte-de-visite, CDV, Albumen, Mexican War, Mexican American War, Civil War, Slavery, Abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Early Photography]

Provenance: Herb Peck assembled one of the first and greatest collections of historic American photography before it was stolen in 1978 from his Nashville home. Once thought lost forever, authorities recently traced an unexpected clue and discovered many of Herb’s images unscathed after nearly 45 years in hiding. These daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes comprise one of the most important collections of Civil War portrait photography ever curated. Herb Peck was a true pioneer who understood both the historic and artistic merit of portraits showing the common Civil War soldier at a time when they were often overlooked. These photographs are deeply important to our shared American history, and Fleischer's Auctions is proud to make them publicly available on behalf of the Peck family.

Image has not been inspected outside its case. Overall fine, scattered scratches visible at raking light. Otherwise, its condition is as it’s represented. For a full condition report, please email us.