Bidspirit auction | Circa 1850 Sixth-Plate Daguerreotype Portrait

Circa 1850 Sixth-Plate Daguerreotype Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a Lace-Trimmed Bonnet - This mid-19th-century portrait is a sixth-plate daguerreotype on silver-plated copper, depicting an elderly woman in a seated three-quarter pose. The subject wears a dark dress with a high-neck white lace collar and a ruffled white bonnet featuring wide side ribbons. The image is housed in a standard wooden case covered in embossed black leatherette with a decorative floral and scrollwork pattern. The interior lid features a red velvet cushion with a deep-embossed floral motif. The photograph is secured under glass with a scalloped brass mat and a protective brass preserver frame. A brass hook-and-eye clasp is present on the side of the case. Case dimensions: 3.25 x 3.75 inches. The image surface exhibits significant signs of age, including widespread white spotting and particulate matter likely resulting from glass deterioration or mold under the cover glass. Heavy peripheral oxidation (tarnish) is visible along the lower portion of the plate, appearing as a bluish-black tone. The case shows minor wear and scuffing to the paper/leatherette covering at the corners and along the spine. The structural integrity of the case remains good.