Ninth-plate ruby glass ambrotype. N.p., ca. late 1850s. Housed in a dark brown thermoplastic union case featuring a fluted medallion and scrolled floral border (Berg 3-289).

A crisp and characterful antebellum occupational portrait documenting a tradesman with the instruments of masonry and bricklaying. Seated half-length before an elaborate painted studio backdrop depicting an estate balustrade, garden urn, and distant landscape, the bearded artisan looks directly forward with an earnest, weathered expression. He is attired in a dark tailored jacket over a dark vest, crisp white collar, and bow tie, paired with light-colored trousers. Balanced across his lap, he holds the essential tools of his craft: in his left hand, a broad, triangular pointed steel bricklayer's trowel, and in his right, a masonry brick hammer.

The deliberate inclusion of trade implements alongside a formal studio suit and landscaped backdrop illustrates the proud mid-19th-century artisan tradition, celebrating skilled physical labor and economic self-sufficiency. True occupational images depicting stonemasons and their tools are quite scarce.

[Ambrotype, Ruby Ambrotype, Ruby Glass, Ninth Plate, Occupational, Mason, Bricklayer, Stonemason, Trowel, Brick Hammer, Tools, Painted Backdrop, Artisan, Thermoplastic Case, Union Case, Cased Image, 1850s Photography, Vernacular Americana]

Very good condition overall. The ambrotype surface exhibits fine tones, strong contrast, and excellent sharpness. The plate is virtually flawless.