Portrait of Mr. Thurston, a Gold Miner, circa 1850

01

Artifact Overview

The daguerreotype, popular in the early 1840s-late 1850s, was the first form of photography available to the public. Sheets of silver-plated copper--polished to a mirror finish--were bathed in photosensitive vapors, and exposed in cameras. In formal studios and traveling booths, photographers created affordable portraits. For the first time, people saw their likenesses--fixed permanently in time and place.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Daguerreotype (Photograph)

Date Made

circa 1850

Subject Date

circa 1850

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

95.109.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Copper (Metal)
Silver (Metal)
Collodion
Japan (Enamel)
Wood (Plant material)
Papier mâché
Glass (Material)
Mat (Cased photograph)
Preservers
Brass (Alloy)
Lining (Material)
Velvet (Fabric weave)

Technique

Daguerreotype (Process)
Plating (Metal coating)
Embossing (Technique)
Sixth plate

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)
Red

Dimensions

Height: 3.75 in
Width: 3.25 in
Depth: 0.75 in

Inscriptions

Incised on back of plate : Mr Thurston
Portrait of Mr. Thurston, a Gold Miner, circa 1850