Sixth plate daguerreotype studio portrait of a young child seated and holding a small handbell, posed formally against a plain studio backdrop. The child wears an off-the-shoulder patterned dress with long sleeves and a full skirt, and her hair is pulled back smoothly from the face. The bell is held deliberately at the waist, suggesting an intentional occupational or symbolic reference rather than a casual prop. The image is housed behind a gilt brass mat with a rectangular opening and period glass, consistent with mid-19th-century daguerreian presentation. No photographer’s imprint is visible.

Handheld bells appear occasionally in daguerreotype portraiture, most often associated with church or civic roles such as bell ringing, or as emblematic props indicating duty or ritual. The direct, composed expression and carefully arranged costume align with studio conventions of the early 1850s.

The daguerreotype is presented in a hinged leather case with a decorative embossed floral exterior and a deep red velvet interior pad. The mat features an ornate repoussé border, and no handwritten identifications or inscriptions are present.