Ghostly Woman, 1/6 Plate Daguerreotype retailer Portrait, c. 1850s

Product Name: Ghostly Woman, 1/6 Plate Daguerreotype retailer Portrait, c. 1850s
This image shows a lovely woman in formal dress with subtle gold embellishment on her collar. The image itself is retailer not of perfect exposure, but beautiful in its own right. There are visible brushstrokes/polish marks that show the human nature of the process (silver-plating a copper sheet and polishing it to a mirror finish) There are lovely details in the garments while the face has a mysterious anonymity to it. This is a unique and eerie portrait. I do not have an exact date for this piece but based on the history of the process, the dress, and the Daguerreotype stamped hallmark, I believe this piece to have been produced in the 1850s. This piece consists of the Daguerrotype, board backing, glass, and brass/copper mat and border. This image is not in a case. The Daguerreotype is one of the first photographic processes popular during the 1840s-50s. The image is created on a silver plated sheet of copper and the image shifts from a positive to a negative image depending on the angle a.