Bidspirit auction | Circa 1855-1865 Half-Plate Ambrotype Group

Circa 1855-1865 Half-Plate Ambrotype Group Portrait of Four Women - A mid-19th century half-plate ambrotype featuring a group portrait of four women. The subjects are arranged in two rows, exhibiting characteristic Victorian fashions including dark dresses with white lace and open-work collars, a light-colored dress with a ruffled collar, and braided hairstyles. The image is housed in a decorative brass frame featuring a foliate-embossed border. The interior scalloped mat has a textured gilt finish. The reverse shows the dark copper-colored backing plate secured with remnants of paper tape around the edges. There are no maker's marks, studio stamps, or signatures present on the image or housing. Frame: 3 1/8 inches x 2 5/8 inches. The image is in poor to fair condition. There is significant and widespread surface deterioration, appearing as micro-flaking or ”snowing” across the entire emulsion (photo 1). Notable silvering and loss of detail is evident on the subjects in the foreground (photo 2). The brass frame shows tarnishing and minor deformation at the corners (photo 4). The reverse shows significant wear to the backing plate and old adhesive residue from degraded paper tape (photo 5).