Bidspirit auction | A Collection of 19th-Century Cased

A Collection of 19th-Century Cased and Uncased Photographs including Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, and Tintypes with Accompanying Artifacts - This collection consists of multiple 19th-century American photographs including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes. The subjects are primarily studio portraits of men, women, and children in attire dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. Notable subjects include a man in suspenders, a young girl in a landscape setting with a stone balustrade, and an elderly woman in a traditional white bonnet. One case interior features a red velvet pad with an embossed studio mark for Schoonmaker's, located at 282 River St, Troy, New York. The photographs are presented in various formats, including embossed leather or paper-covered wooden cases, and a dark thermoplastic Union case featuring a relief of a pastoral scene with figures and a dog. Included in the lot are two non-photographic artifacts: a dark brown composition whistle embossed with Field Siren within an octagonal border, and a gold-toned sunburst-shaped medal featuring a central medallion with an anchor and shield motif. A wooden ruler is used in the accompanying images for scale. Largest case dimensions: approximately 4.75 x 3.75 inches Smallest individual photograph: approximately 3 x 2.25 inches Field Siren whistle: approximately 2.25 inches in length Sunburst medal: approximately 1.75 inches in diameter. The lot is in mixed condition consistent with age. Many of the wooden cases exhibit structural damage including detached lids, missing spines, and worn edges. The photographic images show varying degrees of surface oxidation, silver mirroring, and tarnishing. One specific portrait of a woman features a severely cracked cover glass. Some images show surface scratches or emulsion loss. The thermoplastic case shows minor chipping but remains largely intact. The whistle and medal show standard surface wear and patination.