A masterwork by the premier daguerreotypists of the time, Southworth and Hawes. 

Half-plate studio portrait daguerreotype. Boston: N.p., ca. early 1850s. Housed in a full dark brown to black leatherette case equipped with an exterior spring push-button release catch along the fore-edge. Interior lid retains an unembossed burgundy velvet facing pad.

A magnificent half-plate portrait of an elegant, mature woman, exhibiting the unmistakable aesthetic, lighting hallmarks, and atmospheric tonality of Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes. Posed bust-length facing three-quarters to the right, the sitter gazes into the distance with a calm, dignified mien. Her dark hair is parted neatly down the center, framed beneath a lavish lace morning cap adorned with floral sprays, delicate netting, and broad dark ribbons tied at the neck. She wears a dark pleated gown featuring fine shoulder ruching, accented by an open scalloped lace collar.

The attribution to the legendary Boston partnership of Southworth & Hawes is supported by the composition's technical and artistic virtuosity. Rather than relying on the uniform, flat lighting typical of commercial studios of the period, the operators employed their celebrated dramatic skylight technique, wrapping the subject in soft, sculptural light while deliberately softening the background into an ethereal, glowing halo that isolates the sitter in three dimensions. Furthermore, the large half-plate format, sophisticated lace detailing, and fine push-button case are classic signatures of the high-end clientele that frequented the 5 Tremont Row studio. Southworth & Hawes remain widely celebrated as the preeminent masters of American daguerreian art, whose works reside in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the George Eastman Museum.

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Very good condition. The daguerreotype demonstrates superb tone and exquisite focal resolution. The plate exhibits scattered pinpoint dusting beneath the glass and faint peripheral halo tarnish hugging the mat edges, primarily concentrated along the top margin. The leatherette case remains structurally sound with an intact leather spine, functioning push-button catch mechanism, light edge rubbing, and a clean, plush velvet facing pad.