D05-20. THE SMILING BABY! Was I pleasantly surprised to see this sixth plate without the mat, after Casey had begun his archival restoration of the remarkable image? Since the unknown maker (I know, we would all like to believe that every superlative dag like this one was made by S&H or Whipple) bathed both mother and baby with brilliant brightness from overhead, her face which was angled towards the child, was nearly as dark as her dress. However, we both could see a beautiful beaming curve on her lips. I want to know who was responsible for the babe's animated expression? What manner of gyrations was going on to induce the kid to look so happy? Don't worry about all those white specks in the darkest areas. It's daguerreian frosting not a flaw. There are two brown spots on mom's chest and several more along the bottom of the portrait near a few mat marks. They are only visible when the surface is seen in the negative. The wide range of mid tones is exceptional and the holographic depth is very impressive. A tiny Cherub is in the center of the fine whole leather case. $635