Sixth plate view down a bustling commercial street believed to be in or near Utica, New York, captured by daguerreotypist John P. Garrett during his documented period of work in South Trenton from 1859 to 1860. The image presents a rare and dynamic early view of a muddy main street filled with wagons and carts, their forms scattered along the thoroughfare, while pedestrians move among rows of wooden barrels and crates lining the sidewalks. Signs painted on the brick façades of buildings reveal partial business names, including the storefront of “T.H.G.,” suggesting a busy hub of trade and local enterprise.

The background reveals a prominent white-columned building in classical style, likely a city hall, courthouse, or market house, standing beyond the main convergence of the street. The photograph also includes glimpses of canal infrastructure or waterfront activity in the distance, enhancing the possibility that the location was an economic artery during a time of rapid growth in central New York. The camera angle, slightly elevated, allows for an architectural and social document of a commercial center in transition. The composition, with its rich foreground and distant vanishing point, reflects the technical skill of Garrett, whose few surviving outdoor views are scarce and highly desirable.

Provenance and Context for the Garrett Daguerreotypes

The remarkable group of daguerreotypes offered here originate directly from the Garrett family holdings and were first dispersed in the 1970s, when they changed hands a couple of times before being acquired by noted early photography collector Yann Mailett. Held privately since that time, the collection was recently sold by Mailett as a single lot and is now being offered for the first time as individual items. The grouping represents a rare and cohesive visual record of mid-19th century life and architecture near Utica, New York, as documented by John P. Garrett, a little-known daguerreian active in South Trenton circa 1859–1860.

From the internal evidence within the collection, a compelling narrative emerges connecting Garrett to Stephen S. Rounds, a better-documented Utica photographer. Two daguerreotypes in the group feature the same corner building, with signs in the windows identifying it first as Rounds’ skylight daguerrean rooms and later as Garrett’s. The consistent angle and architectural features confirm the transition of ownership and operation from Rounds to Garrett around 1859, matching the dates found in period directories. While Rounds operated at 162 Genesee Street from 1856 to 1861, Garrett’s brief tenure as a photographer appears to coincide precisely with his acquisition of the studio.

The images preserved by the Garrett family span street scenes, vernacular architecture, commercial buildings, and private residences, many of which bear hallmarks of a professional’s hand—clear focus, balanced compositions, and even experimentation with color tinting. Taken together, they form an invaluable record of a rural New York photographer whose work bridges the professional lineage of the region’s photographic history, now illuminated through these surviving works.