Distinguished by its delicately hand-tinted detail and exceptional clarity, this fine ninth plate daguerreotype captures a stern and authoritative gentleman wearing a pince-nez eyeglass and heavy gold watch chain. The subtle yet refined application of color, visible in the man’s flushed cheeks, his hair, and the soft blue tones of his neckcloth, enhances the naturalism and prestige of the portrait. His presence is formal and composed, with a direct gaze that reflects the seriousness with which early photographic sittings were approached.

The image is signed by the renowned Antoine Claudet, a pioneering figure in British photography, whose work stood at the forefront of daguerreian portraiture in mid-19th century London. Housed in an elegant British case bearing Claudet’s distinctive royal arms stamp, the photograph likely dates to the early 1850s. Claudet’s studio was favored by the upper class, and his portraits remain among the most desirable and technically accomplished of the daguerreian era.