Half plate full-length studio portrait daguerreotype. New York: Jeremiah Gurney, ca. 1853-1858. Full leatherette case. Brass mat stamped with photographer's imprint. 

This remarkable composition features a solemn toddler posed standing atop an ornate carved rococo side chair upholstered in heavy floral brocade, resting their right hand securely on the scrolled crest rail. The young subject is dressed in a crisp, tiered frock over lace-trimmed pantalettes, belted at the waist with a dark buckled strap and wearing polished high-top button boots. A patterned textile is draped across the low pedestal alongside the chair.

Jeremiah Gurney, one of Mathew Brady's chief rivals and among the most decorated daguerreotypists in the United States, operated his premier gallery at 349 Broadway from 1853 until 1858. Photographing restless young children on a large-format half plate required exceptional mastery of quick-acting chemical accelerators and lighting, and this portrait stands out for its razor-sharp depth of field and exquisite composition.

[Daguerreotype, Half Plate, Jeremiah Gurney, Gurney, 349 Broadway, New York Photography, Child Daguerreotype, Pantalettes, Victorian Fashion, Rococo Chair, Cased Image, 19th Century Photography, Antebellum Portraiture]

Very good condition. The plate displays immaculate focal resolution. showing only faint scattered dust and minor, unobtrusive rubbing from a shifting mat at the top left. The leather case remains sound with an intact spine, working hook clasps, and a clean velvet pad.