Daguerreotype womans portrait and silver platted shoe buckle

[boondocker]

Since my field has been dug up for construction I havent been back for while, but decided to give it a try yesterday. Didnt find as much as I had hoped with the ground all dug up but I did find a few nice things including this nice portrait and shoe buckle. Is there any danger in trying to bend the portrait back into some shape or will the silver flake off? The shoe buckle looks to be silver platted on the top, unfortunately it broke when I took it out of the hole. All in all it was a fun afternoon as I havent been out much due to a very busy schedule. Hope you enjoy the finds. Dean

 

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[GopherDaGold]

I would only attempt doing body work on the frame after removing the Dag. Do not touch the surface of the picture. Try to not even breathe on it.
The Dag will be more significant than the frame.

 

[Rogerm069]

Sweet finds!

 

[boondocker]

thanks for the advice gopherdagold, I think I will just leave it as is.

 

[boondocker]

thanks Rogerm069

 

[Mr Tuff]

sweet pic!!!!!! MR TUFF

 

[spitfire55]

That's really a great discovery there. It's sad the shoe buckle got broken during the recovery and as for the picture with the frame thing I'd leave it as is...that's if you see any possible value in it . There's always a possibility of some "Historical " value there if you feel like doing the research.

 

[mainer]

That is sweet. I like the pic. I also have a silver shoe buckle like that, that is broken in the same exact spot.

 

[boondocker]

Thanks Spitfire55 and Mainer, I'm going to leave the portrait alone I don't want to damage it anymore than it already is. Dean

 

[Erik in NJ]

It looks as though she may have been particulary attractive in her time (except for the green moles ) - great find - they don't get much more personal than that!! I'd consider having the picture professionally restored.

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

You dug one creepy premise to a Halloween horror movie when you unearthed that photo.
Some spooky-assed eyes on that babe.
She will haunt your sleep.
I'd proudly have that on the wall directly behind my computer's monitor.
Carl

 

[Erik in NJ]

You dug one creepy premise to a Halloween horror movie when you unearthed that photo.
Some spooky-assed eyes on that babe.
She will haunt your sleep.
I'd proudly have that on the wall directly behind my computer's monitor.
Carl

She's a witch of trouble in electric blue.
In her own mad mind she's in love with you,
With you.
Now what you gonna do?

 

[Hunthicks]

That's a pretty sweet buckle!!

 

[{Sentinel}]

That buckle is cool.

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

You dug one creepy premise to a Halloween horror movie when you unearthed that photo.
Some spooky-assed eyes on that babe.
She will haunt your sleep.
I'd proudly have that on the wall directly behind my computer's monitor.
Carl

She's a witch of trouble in electric blue.
In her own mad mind she's in love with you,
With you.
Now what you gonna do?

Strange, Bro.
(The only semi-pun I could think of.)
And yeah, that silver buckle is sweet as well.
Carl

 

[boondocker]

Thanks to everybody for all the comments, I've been waiting for strange things to happen but nothing yet, if they do happen I'm putting her back where I found her , but first I think I'll try and find out who she might be with our historical society

 

[Imnengr]

I agree, spooky photo. Like she has been waiting to be found by you and her haunting eyes follow you, seeing into your very soul. She demands attention, ignore her at great peril.
Maybe you should put her back.
Just kiddin'. Great finds.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I've always wanted to dig a daguerrotype. A few members on here have, and one of my digging buddies and fellow Iron Brigade members has as well. But since I saw Don in SJ's restoration of one (which made the Finds Banner here), I've really wanted to find one.

Nothing has to be greater than looking at something like this for the first time. This was a photo that was Very expensive to have made (Five Dollars or so, as I recall). Perhaps this was a treasured keepsake given to a lover or husband--perhaps before he went off to fight in the Civil War.

We spend much of our time as detectorists trying to imagine the past--trying to re-create it, to think of how folks would've lived, or where they would've gone, and under what circumstances they might've lost something. Here is an item--a rare find--that makes all those imaginings more concrete for the finder. This is likely the only surviving photograph of her. Now she is nothing but a birth certificate, a marriage license, a tombstone, and a branch on someone's family tree...except for this daguerrotype, which is perhaps the only surviving thing that can be linked to her.

Congratulations on a Very cool find.


-Buckleboy

 

[boondocker]

Thanks Buckleboy, very well said. I hope you find your Daguerreotype soon, this is one of my favorite finds. Dean

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

I've always wanted to dig a daguerrotype. A few members on here have, and one of my digging buddies and fellow Iron Brigade members has as well. But since I saw Don in SJ's restoration of one (which made the Finds Banner here), I've really wanted to find one.

Nothing has to be greater than looking at something like this for the first time. This was a photo that was Very expensive to have made (Five Dollars or so, as I recall). Perhaps this was a treasured keepsake given to a lover or husband--perhaps before he went off to fight in the Civil War.

We spend much of our time as detectorists trying to imagine the past--trying to re-create it, to think of how folks would've lived, or where they would've gone, and under what circumstances they might've lost something. Here is an item--a rare find--that makes all those imaginings more concrete for the finder. This is likely the only surviving photograph of her. Now she is nothing but a birth certificate, a marriage license, a tombstone, and a rung on someone's family tree...except for this daguerrotype, which is perhaps the only surviving thing that can be linked to her.

Congratulations on a Very cool find.


-Buckleboy

Very well put.
Carl