Sixth-plate studio portrait daguerreotype. N.p., ca. early-to-mid 1850s. Housed in a dark leatherette case; interior lid retains an embossed deep purple velvet facing pad.

A full-length studio portrait capturing a young child standing atop a small footstool. Facing the viewer directly, the toddler is dressed in an off-the-shoulder, short-sleeved patterned dress over white lace pantalettes and dark shoes. The child grips a long wooden pull-handle connected to a four-wheeled wire-and-wood toy wagon resting on the floor. Perched upright inside the cart is a charming toy rabbit. 

The presence of the molded toy rabbit perched inside the wagon substantially elevates the image, crossing it directly into the realm of early American folk art and toy collecting.

[Daguerreotype, Sixth Plate, Child, Toddler, Girl, Toy, Wagon, Pull Cart, Toy Rabbit, Bunny, Folk Art, Victorian Childhood, Cased Image, 1850s Photography, Antebellum Americana]

Very good condition. The plate features very strong focal clarity and tonal definition. We note only scattered pinpoint dusting. A beautiful image.