ine daguerreotype plates (predominantly ninth-plates) individually fitted under alternating oval and scalloped sand-finish gilt brass mats, housed in a custom grid-partitioned wooden structure within a period deep-profile molded walnut and parcel-gilt wall frame. Ca. 1850 - 1855. Outer frame measures approx. 12 x 13 in.; sight aperture approx. 7 x 8 in.

A beautifully balanced visual genealogical presentation of three generations of an American family, as told by nine fine daguerreotypes. The composition is arranged in a structured three-by-three matrix: The top tier features views of elder family members, including an seated elder gentleman in a tailored coat, a center bust portrait of a distinguished man in a dark cravat, and a seated matriarch wearing a delicate lace cap and draped woolen shawl. The central tier highlights the family’s youth, showcasing a young woman seated with an open book or needlework, a charming center portrait of a young girl in a voluminous off-the-shoulder frock seated beside an adult or sibling, and a young child perched on a studio pedestal or chair wearing a patterned dress with lace bloomers. The bottom tier presents three mature adults, including two formal male portraits in high standing collars and dark coats flanking a serene center likeness of a young matriarch with center-parted hair and a white collar.

Custom multi-plate display installations constructed during the daguerreian era are far more scarce than individual photographs, as they required substantial financial commitment to commission individual studio plates and a custom-fitted cabinetmaker’s segmented frame. Surviving examples that preserve the full complement of matching plates intact within their original period frame are among the most desirable folk art centerpieces of 19th-century domestic photography.

[Daguerreotype, Ninth Plate, Multi-Plate Frame, Wall Frame, Walnut Frame, Gilt Liner, Victorian Family, Multi-Generational, Genealogy, Child Portrait, Shawl, Lace Cap, Antebellum Domestic Life, Folk Art, Cased Images, 1850s Photography]

Very good condition. The plates retain sharp resolution, rich contrast, and clean surfaces, exhibiting minor scattered perimeter ring tarnish. The deep-profile molded wooden frame displays an attractive finish, showing light edge wear and minor contact abrasions.