Whole-plate hand-tinted ivorytype affixed beneath an octagonal-aperture stamped-brass mat and heavy foliate preserver, housed in a full dark brown thermoplastic Union case with rich plum velvet facing pad, Philadelphia, ca. 1859 - 1860. Accompanied by a contemporary period ink manuscript genealogical slip and an early typed appraisal evaluation sheet.

Like the previous lot, this luminous portrait depicts prominent Philadelphia matriarch Rebecca Jones Lasher rendered in the translucent tones defining the patented mid-19th-century ivorytype process. Achieved by sealing an albumen or salted paper photograph directly to the reverse of plate glass with beeswax and Canada balsam to emulate an ivory miniature, the technique was executed here at the highest level of craftsmanship. Like its companion portrait in the previous lot, which bears the stamped mat imprint of master Philadelphia photographer Washington Lafayette Germon (1823 - 1877), this work almost certainly originated from Germon’s fashionable studio at 702 Chestnut Street during the same 1859–1860 commission. Preserved in its original presentation housing, the plate is accompanied by a period manuscript slip providing direct familial provenance: "This is the picture of your Great Great Grandmother Rebecca Jones Lasher. Her children were Francis Lasher, Hannah Maria Lasher Holingaworth [Hollingsworth], Amanda Melvina Lasher Hollingaworth, Anna Darlington Lasher Waugh."

The image is housed in what is widely recognized as the pinnacle of 19th-century American case manufacturing: "Washington Crossing the Delaware" (Berg 1-2 / Krainik 2), produced by Littlefield, Parsons & Co. and die-engraved by master die-sinkers Frederick B. Smith and Herman Hartmann. Measuring over 8 x 9 inches, the exterior lid features an extraordinary, high-relief three-dimensional interpretation of Emanuel Leutze’s iconic 1851 canvas, surrounded by elaborate foliate, palmette, and scrolling grapevine borders. The die captures Washington resolute near the prow of the rowboat as Continental troops navigate jagged ice floes across the churning river, complete with the billowing flag, strained oarsmen, and detailed rigging. Due to exorbitant die-casting costs and the fragility of thermoplastic at whole-plate scale, a relatively small number of examples were produced. Intact whole-plate pictorial Union cases of this caliber rank among the most coveted centerpieces in early American photographic collecting.

[Ivorytype, Whole Plate, Washington Lafayette Germon, Philadelphia Photographer, 702 Chestnut Street, Rebecca Jones Lasher, Cased Image, Littlefield Parsons, Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze, George Washington, Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Berg 1-2, Krainik 2, Smith & Hartmann, Thermoplastic Case, Union Case, Pictorial Case, 19th Century Photography]

Fine condition. The ivorytype retains exquisite, delicate hand-tinting and deep tones, with some scattered spotting to the print. The case is exceptionally well preserved, retaining crisp relief detailing across Washington and the crew, sharp decorative borders, square corners, and lustrous dark surfaces with no apparent chips, cracks, or repairs.