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| D09-103. WHO WAS SHE? The day I purchased her stunning resealed ninth plate oval likeness both the seller and I KNEW that the woman must have been a mover and shaker in the mid-19th century! For two months the superbly executed profile was in a large box of dags awaiting Casey's restoration. Upon completion I made this scan and once again pondered her identity, without success. I decided to elicit an opinion from a very scholarly advanced collector friend and client. Within 10 minutes he replied that the serious face belonged to Elizabeth Peabody. I quickly Googled her and was pleased that he was most likely correct. Then I was completely overwhelmed by her lifelong accomplishments. I will direct readers to this website for her biography. For facial resemblances simple Google her name in the "images" section. Keep in mind that Elizabeth was 52 when the portrait underneath slightly domed glass was taken; if the "56" written in pencil inside the plush green velvet case on the white silk inside denotes the year. There are three other words I cannot read and "Townsend" which brings up the question, "Am I certain that the subject was Peabody?" Nope, I'm not. The woman's manner of dress and her facial features are instructive in creating a case. Her thick coiled gray hair is persuasive too. Technically speaking, the artist responsible for the face on a silver palette was a professional daguerreotypist. He illuminated Elizabeth using brightness from a skylight. Patina around her is evident. Those lines are NOT scratches on the left side. If only more of the chair was visible . . . the daguerreian might conclusively be named. I am proud to offer this dramatic image with great potential for more research. $1,500 |
