Wonderful half-plate daguerreotype of three simply adorable children. This is truly an endearing portrait as each child looks toward the photographer and his camera in amazement. The brother stands high above his sisters on a small stool. He wears a fabulous jacket with embroidered highlights and a polka-dot shirt with cuffs. His pants are cut short in a slightly irregular pattern and he sports a large striped tie. The older sister, standing on an upholstered box, wears a beautiful off the shoulders dress with a lovely crocheted or lace necklace. A thin, elegant (possibly gold) bracelet is visible on her right wrist. The somewhat chubby baby of the family sits in a high chair wearing a cute polka dot dress with large bows attached to the shoulders, and a simple bead necklace. Upon close examination it also appears that she started to stick her tongue out during the exposure! Light hand tinting has been applied to their faces and lips. This is a nice, rich plate with one small mat mark on the perimeter next to the boy and a couple of extremely light mat marks on the bottom right corner. The two girls have moved slightly creating a soft focus, but it only seems to add another element of charm to this daguerreotype. It is resealed and is housed in a beautiful full leather case with grape design.

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