D06-178. I BELIEVE THE BOY . . . thought that he was totally outclassed by his drop dead gorgeous sibling who sat so quietly while their resealed sixth plate was perfectly executed. Not willing to completely give into her, the lad placed his hand on her shoulder, as he was instructed, but then, in the moment before the lens was uncapped he displayed real spirit and defiantly turned and tilted his head upwards towards the left. That maneuver, along with his twitching clenched fist hanging along his side certainly indicates to me that he was displeased. Imagine how much praise and attention (in his presence) was always lavished on THE SISTER. I am convinced that she could have been aroused from a sound sleep at 3 a.m. taken to a daguerreian's room lit by lamps and candles, forced to sit for half an hour while the exposure was made and she STILL would have managed to knock my eyes out with her compelling beauty nearly 160 years after the dag was taken. The symmetry of the seated girl is totally amazing until we see her partially unfolded paper fan. By then though, we have seen the elegantly coiffured coal black hair, her unmarked porcelain skin (touched with pale red pigments as was her brother's complexion), her remarkably formed face, those cascading earrings and her simple yet very mature ensemble of clothing. Broad patina flows gently across the top of the drapery behind them. Once the next collector has opened their repaired leather case a few times, he or she will realize that unparallel technical expertise was necessary to make this masterpiece! $1,650