Snapshots of the Past

[Unidentified man] – Historic Photograph Print

[Unidentified man], [between 1844 and 1860] — historic photograph
[Unidentified man], [between 1844 and 1860]. Historic photograph from the Daguerreotypes & Early Photography collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This historic photograph of [Unidentified man] brings a moment of history to your wall. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Unidentified man]

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Little of this half plate's image remains legible, since the surface has deteriorated beyond recognition, so the unidentified sitter survives mainly as a shape. A number, 172, is scratched on the back, and the record notes that the plate was transferred to the Library of Congress from the U.S. War College in 1920. Gold toning, a finishing step used to strengthen the image and warm its tone, was common in daguerreotypes of the 1840s and 1850s. The plate was made in the studio of Mathew Brady, whose New York and Washington galleries drew many prominent sitters of the period.

Created / published[between 1844 and 1860]
Medium1 photograph : half plate daguerreotype, gold toned.
GenrePortrait photographs 1840-1860.Daguerreotypes 1840-1860.
NotesImage has deteriorated beyond recognition. Scratched on back of plate: 172. Transfer; U.S. War College; 1920; (DLC/PP-1920:46153). Forms part of: Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress). Produced by Mathew Brady's studio.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,287 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi
Reference343_Unidentified_man_1844

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