Snapshots of the Past

[Stephen Allen Benson, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left] – Vintage Wall Art

[Stephen Allen Benson, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left], [between 1854 and 1860] — historic photograph
[Stephen Allen Benson, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left], [between 1854 and 1860]. Historic photograph from the African American History 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

[Stephen Allen Benson, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left] comes to life in this historic photograph, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. 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. 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.

[Stephen Allen Benson, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left]

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This sixth-plate daguerreotype shows Stephen Allen Benson, who lived from 1816 to 1865, turned three-quarters to the left in a head-and-shoulders pose. Portraits from the 1850s were usually made on small silvered copper plates like this one, and their mirror-like surface means the image shifts with the light and the viewer's angle. The picture dates from the years just before the Civil War, when Black Americans' lives and public voices were central to the national debate over slavery. Benson's portrait is a rare record of an African American man of his era, made in the decade when photography was becoming a common way to preserve a face for family and posterity.

Created / published[between 1854 and 1860]
Medium1 photograph : sixth plate daguerreotype.
GenrePortrait photographs 1850-1860.Daguerreotypes 1850-1860.
SubjectsBenson, Stephen Allen,--1816-1865.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,806 × 4,691 px · prints to 13 × 16 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-220326

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