Unidentified Man
PhotographerPhotographed by
Augustus Washington
(American, 1820 - 1875)
Dateabout 1850
MediumPhotography; daguerreotype on silvered copperplate with brass mat in leather-covered wood case
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 2 3/4 x 2 1/4in. (7 x 5.7cm)
Plate (height x width): 3 x 2 1/2in. (7.6 x 6.4cm)
Other (case height x width x depth): 3 5/8 x 2 5/8 x 1/2in. (9.2 x 6.7 x 1.3cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Edgar Burnham
Object number1959.80.9
DescriptionHalf-length portrait of a seated man. He is wearing a coat, vest, shirt, and necktie. He has a beard.
Label TextEarly photographs required long exposures so sitters were encouraged not to smile and adopt positions and expressions that they could hold for the better part of a minute. This rather good-looking man was captured staring wide-eyed at the camera. The ugly grimace on his face probably resulted when he moved his mouth during the long exposure. Apparently such results were not uncommon in the early days of photography, but they were rarely preserved. For some reason, this man and his family chose to save this portrait.
Status
Not on view
