[Middle-aged Man with Chinstrap Beard, Hand Tucked Inside Buttoned Jacket] 1840s - 1850s

This portrait of a middle-aged man was created by W. & F. Langenheim in Philadelphia, using the daguerreotype process. This early form of photography involved coating a silvered copper plate with light-sensitive chemicals. After a lengthy exposure in a camera, the image was developed with mercury vapor, fixed, and then sealed behind glass, as you see here. The result is a unique, incredibly detailed image with a mirror-like surface. Daguerreotypes were revolutionary because they made portraiture accessible to a wider public. This wasn't painting but it was a painstaking craft that allowed middle-class people to participate in visual culture. The work involved in preparing and processing the plates, as well as the artistry of posing and lighting, elevated daguerreotypes beyond mere snapshots, granting them a special status. The velvet-lined case adds to the sense of preciousness, underscoring how these images were treasured keepsakes. They are documents of a society grappling with new technologies and shifting social hierarchies.