D03-230. DORIS AND GERTRUDE. The complete notation on a piece of paper glued to the red velvet pad of the repaired wooden and paper pressed case reads: "Grandma Doris, age 6 and her sister Aunt Gertrude Smith, age 9". These children sat for their likeness probably about 1848. Who knows why the case is at least 10 years later. Doris didn't daguerreotype well; however, isn't her sister so lovely in her innocence? I wonder how long her dark locks were? Notice the very thick braids hanging down below her shoulders. The kids wore identical dresses. I wonder if the maker was such an obsessive person that he aligned the upper hems so evenly. It might have been happenstance. He bathed them in window light from the right side and used a reflector to soften the shadows. Since Gertrude was closer to the white cloth, her face appears more evenly lit. They float on those chairs against a dark drop that created marvelous depth. A thin band of oxidation is inside the simple mat. One mat mark near the lower right corner is visible. The other specks and flecks are inconsequential to the overall delight of the retaped sixth plate. $450