Bidspirit auction | Circa 1855 Sixth-Plate Cased Daguerreotype

Circa 1855 Sixth-Plate Cased Daguerreotype Portrait of a Seated Couple - This sixth-plate daguerreotype features a formal studio portrait of a seated man and woman. The subjects are dressed in attire typical of the mid-1850s; the woman wears a dark, patterned bodice with a high white collar and a small necktie, while the man is depicted in a dark jacket and vest with a high white collar and dark cravat. The image is housed behind glass in a decorative brass mat with an eight-pointed opening and a textured border, all secured by a brass preserver. The assembly is contained within a wood-core case covered in an embossed material featuring a complex floral and geometric pattern with a central cross-hatched oval cartouche. The interior lid retains its original red velvet pad, which is stamped with a central lozenge and foliate scrollwork. No maker's marks, signatures, or inscriptions are legible on the case or the image. Dimensions: 3.75 x 3.25 inches. The case hinge is completely separated, resulting in two detached halves (photo 3). There is minor rubbing, edge wear, and small chips to the embossed exterior covering of the case, particularly at the corners and along the spine (photo 4). The brass mat exhibits slight surface oxidation and discoloration. The daguerreotype plate shows characteristic silver tarnish and solarization along the upper interior edge of the mat opening (photo 2). The red velvet interior pad shows minor pile wear but remains intact.