portrait of girl

portrait of girl , 1845–1860

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: daguerreotype

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 8.3 x 7 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1973.0005.p

Not on display

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Invented in the late 1830s, the Daguerreotype photographic process produces a single positive image on a metal plate. Daguerreotypes were nicknamed “mirrors with a memory” because of their highly detailed and reflective qualities. Typically small enough to fit in a pocket, some, like this one, were framed by a gilded matte and housed in a leather-bound case. This portrait of a young girl is intended to be handheld and viewed in intimate proximity. Though the sitter’s identity is lost to us today, this type of photograph would have served as a portable reminder of a cherished loved one.