A dentist seated beside a fully appointed instrument case anchors one of the most occupationally specific daguerreotype portraits to appear at auction. The sixth plate daguerreotype dates to the early-to-mid 1840s based on the subject's costume and the open-case compositional convention used by professionals to advertise their trade. The photographer is unmarked and no imprint is present on the case interior.

The subject wears a dark frock coat over a buttoned waistcoat, a loosely knotted cravat, and a high white collar. His hands are clasped in his lap and a ring is visible on his right hand. Beside him, a hinged wooden instrument case sits open on a turned-leg table, its upper tray fitted with rows of handled probes and scalers in two compartments, the lower tray spread with a large collection of extraction forceps of varying jaw configurations.

Occupational daguerreotypes depicting dentists with their instruments are among the rarest professional portraits of the period. The complete instrument set shown here, including the range of extraction forceps visible in the lower tray, reflects mid-nineteenth-century dental practice before standardized instrument sets became common in the profession.

The leather case features a black exterior with an embossed brown inner cover panel depicting a floral bouquet within a radiating sunburst border. No photographer's imprint is visible. The plate is a sixth plate daguerreotype.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer