A finely composed sixth plate daguerreotype depicting a seated woman posed beside a potted auricula (Primula auricula), a flower associated with competitive horticulture and exhibition culture in the mid-19th century. The plant displays the characteristic flat, circular blooms with sharply defined contrasting “eye” centers that identify it as a show auricula, a variety cultivated specifically for judging rather than casual decoration.

Auriculas were among the most rigorously evaluated exhibition plants of the period, with established standards governing symmetry, color contrast, and bloom clarity. To be photographed with such a specimen was not incidental; it signaled accomplishment, refinement, and participation in a serious horticultural tradition. The careful placement of the pot on a draped table reinforces its status as a prize object rather than a domestic houseplant.

The sitter wears a dark dress with a white scalloped collar, her expression direct and composed. The image is housed in its original full gilt mat and period leather case, with patterned velvet pad, showing expected wear consistent with age. The plate retains strong tonal range and clarity, with the auricula blooms remaining clearly legible despite the inherently challenging subject matter.

An uncommon subject within daguerreian portraiture, combining early photography with 19th-century floricultural competition. A rare example of personal identity expressed through achievement rather than adornment, and an exceptional survival documenting the culture of prize plants in the daguerreotype era.