Daguerreotype of a Woman , 1850s
Subject
Photograph
Title
Daguerreotype of a Woman , 1850s
Date
1850s
Description
This young woman decided to have her portrait taken while in her street attire of bonnet, fur-trimmed pelisse, and leather gloves.
Her bonnet rests on the back of the head, the brim widening out to frame her face with flowers of different sizes randomly placed around the inside. The bonnet is draped at the back with a veil of dark lace and ties under the chin with a very wide, light-colored ribbon.
The pelisse, a three-quarter length coat, is trimmed around the shouders and cuffs with fur. She hasn't closed the pelisse in front, however, and one can see the white collar that would be worn around her neck. Often decorated with embroidery and cutwork, these collars were meant to protect the neckline of the dress from soil and abrasion and would be laundered regularly.
William Shew was among one of the most recognized Daguerreotype portrait artists of the mid-19th century. He began his career in photography under Samuel F.B. Morse in Boston during the 1840s, moving to San Francisco in 1851 and establishing a movable studio on a wagon that he called his "Daguerreotype Saloon." The case for this daguerreotype was made by Shew's company in Boston but it is unknown if he was also the photographer.
The case is made of embossed paper on wood with an embossed velvet pad and metal matte.
Her bonnet rests on the back of the head, the brim widening out to frame her face with flowers of different sizes randomly placed around the inside. The bonnet is draped at the back with a veil of dark lace and ties under the chin with a very wide, light-colored ribbon.
The pelisse, a three-quarter length coat, is trimmed around the shouders and cuffs with fur. She hasn't closed the pelisse in front, however, and one can see the white collar that would be worn around her neck. Often decorated with embroidery and cutwork, these collars were meant to protect the neckline of the dress from soil and abrasion and would be laundered regularly.
William Shew was among one of the most recognized Daguerreotype portrait artists of the mid-19th century. He began his career in photography under Samuel F.B. Morse in Boston during the 1840s, moving to San Francisco in 1851 and establishing a movable studio on a wagon that he called his "Daguerreotype Saloon." The case for this daguerreotype was made by Shew's company in Boston but it is unknown if he was also the photographer.
The case is made of embossed paper on wood with an embossed velvet pad and metal matte.
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
Source
Whitlock Collection
Donor: Mary C. Whitlock
Donor: Mary C. Whitlock
Identifier
URI 1962.31.902
Contributor
Allie Kifyak
Medium
The case is made of embossed paper on wood with an embossed velvet pad and metal matte.
Collection
Citation
“Daguerreotype of a Woman , 1850s,” Historic Textile and Costume Collection, accessed April 25, 2024, https://uritextilecollection.omeka.net/items/show/234.