Portrait of a woman sitting
Photograph
1845-1855 (made)
1845-1855 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The daguerreotype process was introduced to the public in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Daguerre, and was hugely popular as a medium for portraiture until the middle of the 1850s. To create a daguerreotype, a silver plated sheet was given a light sensitive surface coating of iodine vapour. After a long exposure in the camera, the image was developed over heated mercury and fixed in a common salt solution. The image lies on a mirror-like surface and is best seen from an angle to minimise reflections.
This hand-tinted and gilded daguerreotype shows an oval portrait of a woman, cased and gilt framed in a morocco case. The surface of daguerreotypes is delicate and easily damaged, so professionally finished images were presented in a protective case or frame.
This hand-tinted and gilded daguerreotype shows an oval portrait of a woman, cased and gilt framed in a morocco case. The surface of daguerreotypes is delicate and easily damaged, so professionally finished images were presented in a protective case or frame.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of a woman sitting (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | daguerreotype, glass, copper, tinted, gilt mount, embossed leather, probably, case lined with red velvet. |
| Brief description | Daguerreotype portrait of a seated woman, in morocco case; Lowe, R (Cheltenham), late 1840s - early 1850s |
| Physical description | Oval portrait of a woman sitting, hand-tinted and gilted. The daguerreotype is cased and gilt framed in a morocco case with red velvet lining . Stamp on the back reads R.Lowe, Promenade, Cheltenham. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | R.Lowe, Promenade, Cheltenham (Stamp on back of daguerreotype case) |
| Summary | The daguerreotype process was introduced to the public in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Daguerre, and was hugely popular as a medium for portraiture until the middle of the 1850s. To create a daguerreotype, a silver plated sheet was given a light sensitive surface coating of iodine vapour. After a long exposure in the camera, the image was developed over heated mercury and fixed in a common salt solution. The image lies on a mirror-like surface and is best seen from an angle to minimise reflections. This hand-tinted and gilded daguerreotype shows an oval portrait of a woman, cased and gilt framed in a morocco case. The surface of daguerreotypes is delicate and easily damaged, so professionally finished images were presented in a protective case or frame. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1189-1992 |
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| Record created | June 12, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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