Quirky People by Beckers and Piard
SOLD March 2007 |
Quarter plate daguerreotype of father and two lively children by Beckers and Piard, New York. Mat stamped "Beckers & Piard / 264 Broadway". Housed in a worn case with leather-repaired spine.
Alexander Beckers and Victor Piard are listed in partnership at 264 Broadway from 1853-56. In contrast to the Daguerreian mills run by such operators as Gurney, their work is not easy to find but it is usually interesting. In this fine plate, three New Yorkers are posed against a light-colored backdrop with good detail and range of tones. Each seems to have their own distinct idea of how posing is to be carried out.
The plate is in excellent condition, with a light trace of mold spider at right edge near the girl's hand, and a small black speck in dark area near bottom.
