Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Fall Photographic History Auction, 2025

Sat, Sep 6, 2025 01:00PM EDT
Lot 211

Oval Daguerreotype Portrait of a Young Woman with Striking Presence

Estimate: $300 - $500

Bid Increments

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Quarter plate daguerreotype portrait of a poised young woman seated before a dark studio backdrop, housed in an elegant oval thermoplastic case. Her hair is carefully parted and swept into wide side rolls, a fashionable style of the early 1850s. She wears a checked silk dress with puffed sleeves and an oversized white lace collar fastened at the neck with a cameo brooch. Delicate tinting enhances the warmth of her cheeks and lips, adding to her composed and confident presence.

The sitter gazes directly at the camera with an expression that combines self-awareness and serenity. She rests against a carved studio chair, the ornate detail of which adds a layer of depth and dimension to the image. The photograph is presented in a rare elliptical case featuring a deeply sculpted pomegranate design surrounded by floral motifs, a known and desirable Berg example. The image is sharp and expertly composed, a likely product of a top-tier urban studio during the height of daguerreotype portraiture.

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