American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Quarter plate portrait of a young gentleman with a mustache, goatee, and long hairstyle. New York: Root, n.d. (Tarnishing to edges, clouding and spotting to image, with spotting to mat and preserver; original seals.) Housed in a half leatherette case (significant surface wear). Mat stamped for M. A. & S. Root. -- A sixth plate portrait of a middle-aged bearded gentleman looking just off camera. [Easton, PA]: [R. Knecht], n.d. (Tarnishing to edges, some clouding to image; original seals.) Housed in a full pressed paper case (general wear). Velvet pad stamped for R. Knecht. -- A quarter plate portrait of a young gentleman with dimples and a goatee, seated at a table. (Tarnishing to edges, some scattered spotting and marks to plate, spotting to mat and preserver.) Housed in a fully separated papier mâché case with mother of pearl inlay and hand painting (fully separated at spine, crackling to surface, general wear). -- A ninth plate portrait of a gentleman wearing a large neck tie and plaid vest, looking directly into the camera. (Tarnishing to edges, very light spotting, great clarity; lacking preserver, resealed.) Housed in a full leatherette case that opens vertically (surface wear, most significantly in rectangular shape on front cover). -- A sixth plate portrait of a young man with coiffed hair, identified as George Kendall on a piece of paper behind image. (Light tarnishing to edges, spotting and slight clouding around subject; original seals.) Housed in a full pressed paper case). Behind image is a piece of paper with identification, a lock of hair folded in a second piece of paper, a loose strand of hair, and a clipped one-cent "U.S.P.O. Despatch" stamp. -- And 16 others, including 3 half plate examples, 3 quarter plate examples, and 10 sixth plate examples, including two portraits of the same man. Some without full cases. -- Together, 21 daguerreotypes featuring distinguished and debonair men.