Snapshots of the Past

Chestnut St. south side west of 2d – Vintage Photo Print

Chestnut St. south side west of 2d, [1844 or 1845] — historic photograph
Chestnut St. south side west of 2d, [1844 or 1845]. 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 Chestnut St. south side west of 2d 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.

Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. A fine choice for anyone who loves history, and a gift that gets noticed. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Chestnut St. south side west of 2d

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The title places this sixth-plate daguerreotype on the south side of Chestnut Street, west of Second Street, in Philadelphia, one of the busiest commercial corridors of its day. A label on the mat attributes the work to W.Y. McAllister and dates it to about 1844 to 1845, a period when Philadelphia was a leading center of American daguerreotype practice. The image is not clearly visible on the plate itself, so the title and attribution carry much of the surviving record. Early exposures ran for minutes, which is why busy streets in daguerreotypes often look nearly empty, with only the stationary buildings and occasional pauses holding their place.

Created / published[1844 or 1845]
Medium1 photograph : sixth-plate daguerreotype.
GenreDaguerreotypes 1840-1850.
NotesCase: Passe partout mat. Label attached to back of mat: Chestnut St. south side west of 2d about 1844-5 by W.Y. McAllister. Image is not visible on plate. Purchase; Marion S. Carson; 1999; (DLC/PP-1999:126). Forms part of: Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress). Forms part of: Marion S. Carson collection (Library of Congress).
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,131 × 5,158 px · prints to 14 × 17 in at 300 dpi
Reference161_Chestnut_St_south_side_1844

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