Sixth-plate daguerreotype plate housed under a heavy rectangular gilt brass mat with rounded corners and an embossed rope-twist preserver, enclosed in a hinged miniature leather case with an embossed caramel-velvet facing pad and dual brass closure hooks. Ca. 1848 -1853. Plate measures approx. 2 3/4 x 3 1/4 in.; case measures approx. 3 1/4 x 3 3/4 in.

A compelling, visually arresting antebellum portrait distinguished by the sitter's remarkable, high-specialty eyewear.

The subject, an imposing, broad-shouldered gentleman, is captured in a waist-up sitting wearing a heavy, broad-lapel wool overcoat over an open tailored jacket, waistcoat, white standing shirt collar, and wide black silk stock cravat. Resting firmly across the bridge of his nose is an extraordinary pair of period spectacles: wire-rimmed frames featuring primary oval lenses augmented by hinged, side-folding tinted auxiliary lenses. Designed during the late Georgian and early Victorian eras for dual reading and distance correction, the side lenses could be swung forward over the main visual field or deployed outward to block glare.

Spectacles in early photographic portraiture are inherently uncommon due to the severe skylight glare and reflections they often cast across the plate glass, typically obscuring the sitter's eyes. Here, the operator managed the studio light angles with exceptional skill, capturing the intricate wire loops, temple hinges, and side glass without blinding glare, leaving the subject’s eyes and stern countenance fully visible.

[Daguerreotype, Sixth Plate, Eyeglasses, Spectacles, Four-Lens Glasses, Cataract Glasses, Tinted Lenses, Optical History, Medical History, Antebellum Portraiture, 1850s Photography, Cased Image]

Very good condition. The plate displays strong contrast and sharpness. The surface remains remarkably clean with light, honest perimeter halo tarnish along the inner mat bevel.