Opening: $750 Hammer Price: $750 SOLD Skylight Gallery 20 March 2005

A slightly larger-than half plate English Ambrotype showing an English Tavern. Resealed in original passe-partout mount with a very old ink notation on reverse "Aunt Dodd & [six] children / taken December 1861. Presented to me by my Cousin Emma Dodd / Mary Jane Thomas."   ( Inventory# ia702 )

Here we have it all, right down to the shaggy dog!

This ambrotype has quite good detail, including the Tavern's sign which reads:
"UNION TAVERN / BY FRANCIS DODD / LICENSED to BREW and SELL / ALE PORTER and CIDER BY RETAIL / TO BE DRUNK ON THE PREMISES / DEALER IN TOBACCO."

"Francis" can obviously be either a male or female name, but as the inscription on reverse mentions only an aunt, and no male proprietor is featured anywhere in the ambrotype, it is quite possible that "Aunt Dodd" = Francis was the owner of this establishment. Operation of a tavern was in fact a frequent recourse of the Victorian English widow, who was otherwise left with few economic options.

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