UnderMiner
Silver Member
- Jul 27, 2014
- 3,786
- 9,648
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 2
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Found an 1850's Daguerreotype!
Never in a hundred years did I ever expect to find something like this! An 1850's daguerreotype!
This is the oldest form of photography, first invented in 1839! This example depicts a well dressed child standing on a fancy chair.
The case is leather lined with felt, the "preserver" is thin brass, and the mat is a plain oval.
My research indicates this style dates to the 1850's, pre-Civil War! So cool!
Had so much fun researching
this today.
Anyone who's ever tried to take a picture of a daguerreotype could attest to how difficult this can be.
The daguerreotype literally acts as a mirror and at some angles the picture cannot even be seen!
So I had a hard time taking these pictures, but eventually it worked out
:
Apparently there was sometimes information stamped on the back of the glass plate but in order to access this I'd have to take the plate out of the case.
I don't want to damage it so I won't be doing this anytime soon. So cool to know this kid grew up during the Lincoln administration and probably had older siblings/relatives who fought in the Civil War.
Also cool to know this photo was likely taken during the time of Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan's presidency. I love history
Update: Just delicately removed the photo plate out of the case and discovered an inscription!
Maybe the first to see it in over 165 years! Any ideas as to what this trasnlates too? It doesn't appear to be English?
Never in a hundred years did I ever expect to find something like this! An 1850's daguerreotype!
This is the oldest form of photography, first invented in 1839! This example depicts a well dressed child standing on a fancy chair.
The case is leather lined with felt, the "preserver" is thin brass, and the mat is a plain oval.
My research indicates this style dates to the 1850's, pre-Civil War! So cool!
Had so much fun researching
this today. Anyone who's ever tried to take a picture of a daguerreotype could attest to how difficult this can be.
The daguerreotype literally acts as a mirror and at some angles the picture cannot even be seen!
So I had a hard time taking these pictures, but eventually it worked out
:
Apparently there was sometimes information stamped on the back of the glass plate but in order to access this I'd have to take the plate out of the case.
I don't want to damage it so I won't be doing this anytime soon. So cool to know this kid grew up during the Lincoln administration and probably had older siblings/relatives who fought in the Civil War.
Also cool to know this photo was likely taken during the time of Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan's presidency. I love history
Update: Just delicately removed the photo plate out of the case and discovered an inscription!
Maybe the first to see it in over 165 years! Any ideas as to what this trasnlates too? It doesn't appear to be English?
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