Offered is a rare and detailed advertising broadside from E.K. Hough’s Ambrotype and Daguerreotype Gallery, located in Union Block, Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York, dated October 25, 1856. This double-sided leaflet is an exceptional piece of early photography ephemera, promoting the latest advancements in “light painting” and the superiority of ambrotypes over daguerreotypes.

The front side features ornate typography and showcases various offerings, including “Common Ambrotypes,” “Stereoscopic or Raised Pictures,” and “Atrifographs.” Highlighted are a variety of case styles, including richly ornamented Union cases, Morocco band cases, oval cameo frames, and colored velvet-lined cases. The broadside also mentions pictures set in rings and lockets, catering to the Victorian demand for personal keepsakes.

The reverse side contains a detailed letter from E.K. Hough explaining the artistic and technical merits of ambrotypes, including their durability, clarity, and lifelike quality. It outlines several types of ambrotypes available, such as double-glass, transparent, and raised cameo styles, all executed with meticulous craftsmanship. Hough's description demonstrates the pride and innovation of mid-19th-century photographic practices, aiming to preserve personal likenesses for generations.

This broadside represents a fascinating snapshot of early photographic marketing and technology. It is a valuable artifact for collectors of photography ephemera, Victorian advertising, or those interested in the history of visual arts.

Listed as an artist and daguerreian, Petersburg, Va., 1858. In 1859 he was listed as a daguerreian in Louisburg, N.C. In the same year he was listed in partnership as Hough and Levois in Hillsborough, N.C. In later years he had a studio in Winston, N.C., and in Tennessee. Shortly after he was reported in Tennessee, it was also reported he had sold his gallery in Winston, N.C., and had moved to Fredonia, N.Y. It was noted he was "again at his home" in Fredonia. That was apparently c. 1887. It was in those years that he also wrote extensively on art in photography for Anthony's Photographic Bulletin.