An elderly woman seated before the camera in this sixth plate daguerreotype, made by Alexander Beckers at his celebrated Broadway studio in New York City, most likely between 1853 and 1856. Beckers was among the most technically accomplished daguerreotypists of the American antebellum period, and the image reflects the refined quality of his studio work. The plate is housed in a leather case with an embossed floral and foliate cover design and a rust-colored velvet interior pad.

The subject wears a dark silk dress with wide sleeves and a fine lace cap tied beneath the chin with long white ribbons falling across her chest, framing a lace-trimmed collar fastened with a small brooch. She is seated in an ornate carved parlor chair visible at her right, her hands resting in her lap, her expression composed and direct.

Alexander Beckers operated at 264 Broadway from 1853 to 1856, the address embossed on the brass mat alongside his name, establishing a precise window for this portrait's creation. His career spanned from early work under Frederick Langenheim in Philadelphia through decades as one of New York City's most prominent daguerreian operators and photographic instrument manufacturers.

The photographer's imprint reads "ALEX. BECKERS" and "264 BRO[ADWAY]" stamped into the lower border of the gilt mat.

Property of a Palmer, Massachusetts gentleman.