Sixth-plate daguerreotype portrait depicting a young woman posed three-quarter length, her head turned slightly toward the camera with one hand raised to her cheek. She wears a dark dress with a lighter bodice panel and fitted sleeves, and her hair is arranged in long, defined sausage curls falling along both sides of the face. The sitter’s expression is calm and direct, with a composed gaze that reflects the controlled stillness required for mid-19th-century photographic exposure. The pose, combining a resting hand and forward-facing torso, is deliberate and formal, consistent with studio portrait conventions of the early 1850s.

The image is housed behind a gilt oval mat with a narrow border, paired with a period preserver. The daguerreotype surface shows scattered plate oxidation and light abrasions, visible across the field, without obscuring the sitter’s features. The overall tonal range and clarity of facial modeling are consistent with American daguerreotype practice of the period. No photographer’s imprint or studio identification is visible.

The image has been resealed, you can see it with the original seals above. No legible identification or handwritten attribution is present. The piece is presented as an intact, original daguerreotype portrait of an unidentified young woman, notable for its expressive hand pose and well-defined hairstyle.