25-Cent Daguerreotypes
SOLD March 2007 |
Group of three ninth plate daguerreotypes by James & Co. (David E. James), Boston, showing two men smoking and in jaunty poses. Each with a James & Co. advertising card on reverse. Uncased.
These three fun images were purchased together and seem to show a pair of friends hamming it up at James and Company's 25-cent Daguerreian gallery. The second two images appear to depict the same man. They resemble, not only in size, the automat photos that unruly teenagers take of themselves wearing silly expressions. Perhaps we can consider James & Co. as a Daguerreian ancestor of the photo automat. Here we see the same rejection of the demands of good photographic posture. Were these young men from one of the local colleges?
The three plates are uncased but housed in full brass mats and protector. In good condition. The second of the three has some light vertical wipes which are visible under side lighting. Light traces of coloring on two of the plates. In the third image the sitter holds a publication folded under his arm whose title is almost, but not quite, readable.
Each of the images has a (slightly different) James & Co. advertising card set behind it. The most extensive of these reads:
"James & Co.s / 25 Cent Daguerreotypes and Ambrotype Rooms / Cor. Winter & Washington Streets, BOSTON. / Ambrotypes, or Pictures on Glass, of all sizes and in very style, cheaper than at any other place in the world. / James & Co. also publish weekly at their rooms, "THE DAGUERREOTYPE, a literary paper, with Tales, Sketches, Poetry, News, &c, together with valuable information in relation to THE ART OF DAGUERREOTYPING. / Price one dollar a year, or two cents...[portion abraded]."
Another of the cards notes:
"Ambrotypes, Vitralotypes,[?] or Pictures, on Glass, in all sizes or styles... The Double Camera is still in use."
