Historical information

One of a pair of separate half-length studio portraits of an unidentified man and a woman photographed using the daguerreotype process. Both portraits are contained within pinchbeck frames, bound in brown-tooled leather cases, with red, cut-velvet binding. Each daguerreotype required an individual negative, presented to the sitter as a positive, and was not reproducible. Due to an exposure time that could extend to many minutes, people were often seated for portraits. Sitters were almost exclusively drawn from the middle to upper classes because of the cost of production of the photograph.

Significance

It is assumed that the subjects of the two daguerreotypes were unidentified members of Gwen Steele's family. They are the earliest photographs in the pictures collection.

Physical description

Three quarte-length studio portrait of an unidentified man photographed using the daguerreotype process. The portrait is contained within pinchbeck frames, bound in brown-tooled leather cases, with red, cut-velvet binding.