Sixth-plate daguerreotype plate under an oval sand-finish gilt brass mat and embossed foliate preserver, housed in a full hinged miniature pressed-leather case with an embossed salmon-pink silk facing pad stamped with the gallery hallmark of G.A. Hawkes, Artist, Rockford, and retaining functional brass closure hardware. Rockford, Illinois, ca. 1850 - 1855. Plate measures approx. 2 3/4 x 3 1/4 in.; case measures approx. 3 1/4 x 3 3/4 in. Accompanied by a contemporary period manuscript identification card identifying the musician as "Smith" and an authentic lock of the sitter's hair.

A masterful mid-century musical occupational portrait documenting an antebellum reed player from northern Illinois. The youthful musician sits in a three-quarter pose, looking squarely into the lens with quiet poise. His wardrobe is exceptional and sartorially expressive: a dark tailored jacket with broad lapels worn over a patterned waistcoat, a high standing white collar wrapped in a knotted dark silk neckerchief, and trousers featuring a bold, woven grid-plaid check pattern. Suspended across his waistband is a multi-strand watch fob with a decorative drop tassel.

Resting upright upon his crossed knee and gripped firmly in his right hand is his primary musical instrument: a period early simple-system clarinet. Rendered with crisp fidelity, the photograph clearly delineates the flared bell resting on his lap, the jointed wooden body segments, and the bright, polished metal keywork and tone-hole rings running along the barrel.

Full views of musical instruments depicted in the daguerreian medium are uncommon, with woodwinds ranking among the most difficult to encounter. The presence of the original gallery pad stamped for "G.A. Hawkes, Artist, Rockford" adds significant Midwestern regional provenance. Preserved in its original intact paper seals and accompanied by both the period identification card for the musician and an authentic lock of hair, this plate represents a complete, undisturbed time capsule of antebellum musical culture.

[Daguerreotype, Sixth Plate, Clarinet, Clarinetist, Musician, Woodwind, Musical Instrument, Boxwood Clarinet, Plaid Trousers, G.A. Hawkes, Rockford Illinois, Winnebago County, Illinois Photography, Midwestern Daguerreotype, Lock of Hair, Memento Mori, Occupational Photography, Cased Image]

Very good condition. The plate retains impressive clarity, with only a few specks of dust under the glass. The image retains its original factory paper tape seals.