[Elderly Man Holding Ivory-topped Walking Stick] 1843 - 1845

This is a daguerreotype, made by John Plumbe Jr., of an elderly man holding an ivory-topped walking stick. The subdued palette of blacks, whites, and grays lends a somber dignity to the portrait. The rigid octagonal frame around the plate confines the sitter, enhancing the portrait's formal and structured quality. Plumbe's choice of daguerreotype—a medium celebrated for its sharp detail and almost mirror-like surface—underscores the visual emphasis on clarity and precision. The formal arrangement of the portrait invites a semiotic reading. The walking stick could symbolize authority and status while also suggesting frailty and the passage of time. The daguerreotype is not just a record of likeness but also an artifact embedded with cultural codes, reflecting 19th-century notions of class, age, and representation. The aged surface of the case further emphasizes how the material and the image are fused together.