Signed by Her Friends
SOLD November 2003 |
Sixth plate daguerreotype. anonymous American ca. 1850, showing a girl with loose dark hair and holding a small booklet. Signed repeatedly on the plate. Housed in half case.
With its original mat in place, a single signature of "Amanda [...]" is fully visible the top of the daguerreotype. Removing the mat, we find at least six additional signatures, including "Marshall Abeman", "Edwin Badding Sachey", "Henry Mack", "Elbridge...", "Charles...." and someone whose name was scratched out. (These are my best guesses.) Together with the dainty book which she holds slightly open with one hand, this leads to the conjecture that the occasion for image was the graduation of a school class or, more likely, some religious event such as a confirmation. Amanda's very beautiful young image was thus also for her a keepsake of her classmates.
The image has been sealed with a piece of glass over image (but not touching surface), and then placed back in the original preserver and mat, which can be removed at any time to view the inscribed mementos underneath.
