Large Plate by Southworth and Hawes
SOLD September 2006 |
Half plate daguerreotype of an assertive gent with perhaps a slightly wandering right eye, by Southworth and Hawes, ca. 1850s. With traces of applied coloring to the background in pink, orange, and perhaps faded sky-blue. Housed in the original oversize brass mat and half case, overall dimensions of case 7 x 5.75 inches (18x15 cm).
Southworth and Hawes' use of color is poorly represented by most of their surviving examples. In this painterly plate traces of pink and orange, as well as what is probably an overall light blue on the background, now faded to neutral tone, show their connection to the English school of hand-coloring. One of Southworth and Hawes columns is expressively positioned at the right edge, behind their trademark chair, to give this confident gent a cultured and impressive air.
The oversize brass mat & half case renders the image more imposing than a standard half plate presentation. At the same time it allowed the plate to break its old paper seals and float loose in the case during transport. This produced a few scratches at the edges which do not have a significant effect but should be noted. It is otherwise an excellent rich plate in fine condition, reproduced in the recent Southworth and Hawes catalog Young America (2005), #418.
