American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Sixth plate daguerreotype portrait of a young girl wearing a blue-tinted bonnet and standing next to an ornate chair. (Tarnishing to edges; possibly resealed.) Housed in a full leatherette case (surface wear). Penciled note behind image and on paper affixed to velvet pad identifies the subject as Emily Whelen (1854-1929), daughter of prominent Philadelphia resident, Edward Siddons Whelen. -- Quarter plate daguerreotype portrait purportedly of the same subject, Emily Whelen, sitting next to a dog. (Heavy tarnish, clouding, and spotting to image, dog very difficult to see, no preserver present, cover glass loose; unexamined out of the case.) Housed in a full leatherette case (surface wear). Paper note accompanying image identifies subject as Emily Whelen. -- Sixth plate daguerreotype portrait of a young child sitting at a child-sized table. Philadelphia: Willard, ca 1850s. (Some tarnish to edges, spotting and clouding throughout, spotting to mat; retains original seals.) Housed in a full pressed paper case with velvet pad stamped for Willard (significant wear including near separation at spine and heavy surface wear throughout). Note behind image identifies subject as Charles Fry (1850-1910). -- And 18 others, including 3 quarter plate examples, 13 sixth plate examples, and 2 sixteenth plate examples. -- Together, 21 daguerreotype portraits of children and teenagers. Conditions vary, though many have some tarnishing and spotting. Some not housed in cases.