Bidspirit auction | Wm Babcock and Various Subjects,

Wm Babcock and Various Subjects, A Collection of Six 19th-Century Cased Daguerreotypes - This collection features six mid-19th-century cased photographs, comprising a mix of daguerreotypes. The subjects include a variety of Victorian-era portraits: two individual men, a married couple, an elderly woman wearing a traditional bonnet, a pair of young boys in checked trousers, and a family group of two women with a child. The images are housed in standard embossed leather or paper-covered wooden cases, each featuring decorative gilt brass mats and protective cover glass. One plate is presented with its original mat but lacks the outer protective case. On the interior velvet lining of one case lid, there is a handwritten cursive inscription reading Wm Babcock. The photographic plates show the distinctive characteristics of early processes, including the mirror-like silver surface of the daguerreotypes Case width: 3.25 inches. The collection exhibits significant signs of age and wear consistent with the period. The cases show heavy abrasion to the exterior coverings, including bumped corners, frayed edges, and losses to the leather and paper surfaces. Several cases have completely separated at the hinges. The photographic plates display varying levels of edge oxidation and silver tarnish around the perimeter of the mats. There is scattered dust and residue trapped beneath the cover glass of multiple images. The portrait of the elderly woman shows significant surface spotting, commonly referred to as measles. One plate is missing its original wooden case.