Quarter-plate daguerreotype in heavy, deep-recessed stamped brass mat and foil preserver, housed in a chocolate-brown thermoplastic Union case with deep purple velvet facing pad. New York, NY: Marcus Aurelius Root (363 Broadway), circa 1852–1856. Stamped on the lower left of the brass mat face: "M. A. ROOT / 363 BROADWAY - N.Y." Plate measures 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.; case measures approx. 4 3/4 x 5 3/4 in.

A beautifully composed antebellum studio portrait of a sophisticated husband and wife taken at Marcus Aurelius Root's prestigious Broadway gallery. Root, one of America’s preeminent pioneer daguerreotypists and author of The Camera and the Pencil (1864), was celebrated for his mastery of tonal gradation, soft lighting, and naturalistic posing - all qualities on full display here.

The woman stands gracefully at left in a three-quarter turn, wearing ringlets framing her face, a dark silk taffeta dress with delicate gathered sleeves, a detailed crocheted lace collar, and a brooch pin at her throat. Her seated husband is attired in a dark tailored wool frock coat, patterned silk waistcoat, high white wing-collar shirt, and a wide silk cravat, sporting a well-groomed chin beard. Asymmetrical staging demonstrates Root’s sophisticated departure from rigid, flat daguerreian conventions of the era.

The image is housed in an intact, crisp chocolate-brown thermoplastic Union case cataloged as Berg 3-51 ("Geometric with Rococo Border").

[Daguerreotype, 1/4 Plate, Quarter Plate, Marcus Aurelius Root, M.A. Root, Broadway, New York City, 1850s Photography, Cased Image, Thermoplastic Case, Union Case, Berg 3-51, Antebellum Portraiture]

Very good condition. The plate retains strong clarity and tones, with only with light, scattered dust across and faint peripheral tarnish.