American Historical Ephemera & Photography

SIMONS, M.R., photographer. Half plate daguerreotype portrait of a young woman sitting at a table with her arm resting on an open book. Philadelphia: n.d. (Some fading to image, no preserver present; unsealed.) Housed in a full pressed paper case (surface wear throughout). Mat stamped for Simons. -- CHASE, photographer. Half plate daguerreotype portrait of a young woman wearing a floral bonnet and draped with a hand-colored shawl. [Boston]: n.d. (Significant spotting to image, tarnish to edges, oxidation spotting to mat; unsealed.) Housed in a fully separated pressed paper case (significant wear and some edges missing). Mat stamped for Chase. Period inked note behind image reads, "This picture I do not know. I think though it was a governess in my Grand mother's family." -- Quarter plate daguerreotype portrait of a lovely young woman with uniquely curled strand of hair, posed holding a book in her hand. (Exceptional clarity, no preserver present; cleaned 1974 and unsealed.) Housed in a fully separated pressed paper case (separated at spine, wear throughout). Period paper label on edge of case identifies subject as, "Frances W. Stevenson of Cambridge, N.Y." -- And 3 other daguerreotypes including 2 quarter plate examples and one oversized quarter plate example. -- Together,  6 portraits of women.