Tinted Kids with Toys
SOLD November 2005 |
Sixth plate daguerreotype of two children, anonymous American ca. 1850, with applied hand-coloring in pink and green. Housed in a full leather case with partially split spine.
This is a great one! The two apprehensive children huddle instinctively together in their chair like little birds in a nest, frightened by the approach of some predator. Each clutches a fairly good-sized toy and displays brightly-colored plumage. While it is possible that the child at right has been given applied yellow coloring the net effect combined with plate color is a lime green.
The plate is brilliant and rich, with just a bit of mold spidering at the upper left edge in the tarnish and an even tinier bit at top center. Otherwise in mint condition.
Although both are sharp, the rightmost toy is easier to identify and consists of a wooden horse-like figure mounted on a larger wood base, in turn covered with patterned cloth or paper. A bit of the paper is torn back on one corner revealing the underlying wood. The object or objects held by the leftmost child are difficult for me to identify. It's been suggested that one of them might be a bell.
