Snapshots of the Past

[Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing left, seated in chair] – Historic Photo Reproduction

[Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing left, seated in chair], [between 1850 and 1860] — historic photograph
[Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing left, seated in chair], [between 1850 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 rare historic photograph captures [Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing left, seated in chair] in remarkable detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful 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, half-length portrait, facing left, seated in chair]

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

The case is what sets this portrait apart, with mixed flowers surrounded by scrolling ornament, a decorative style that many 1850s studios used to present their daguerreotypes. The unidentified sitter appears in half-length, seated in a chair and turned to the left, a common pose that let photographers make good use of light from a single window. Quarter-plate daguerreotypes like this one are made on silver-coated copper, so the image reads as a positive only at certain angles and turns to a negative as the viewer tilts it. The hallmark on the plate is partly cut off, so the maker cannot be confirmed from the surface alone.

Created / published[between 1850 and 1860]
Medium1 photograph : quarter-plate daguerreotype.
GenreDaguerreotypes 1850-1860.Portrait photographs 1850-1860.
NotesCase: mixed flowers surrounded by scrolls. Hallmark: partially cut off. Appears to be Rinhart 29. Barboza number: 6019.046. Purchase; Anthony Barboza; 1999; (DLC/PP-1999:022). Forms part of: Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress).
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,020 × 5,000 px · prints to 13 × 17 in at 300 dpi
Reference659_Unidentified_man_halfle_1850

More from the Daguerreotypes & Early Photography collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

[Unidentified man, three-quarter length portrait, facing left, sitting in chair, wearing hat and a dark glove on one hand][Unidentified man, three-quarter length portrait, facing left, sitting in chair,[Unidentified woman, half-length portrait, facing left, seated holding book][Unidentified woman, half-length portrait, facing left, seated holding book][Unidentified woman, half-length portrait, facing front, seated in chair with arm resting on table with tablecloth][Unidentified woman, half-length portrait, facing front, seated in chair with ar[Unidentified man, half-length portrait, seated, facing front][Unidentified man, half-length portrait, seated, facing front][Unidentified man wearing spectacles, half-length portrait, seated, facing front, arm on table with tablecloth][Unidentified man wearing spectacles, half-length portrait, seated, facing front[Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing right][Unidentified man, half-length portrait, facing right]