Untitled (Two Men Wearing Top Hats, Leaning on a White Picket Fence) 1853

"Untitled (Two Men Wearing Top Hats, Leaning on a White Picket Fence)" is an 1853 daguerreotype by William J. Shew. The image captures two men in top hats standing near a white picket fence. The men appear to be leaning against the fence, with a background of a forested hillside. The daguerreotype, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, is a small, intimate portrait of a typical scene in mid-19th century America. The daguerreotype process was a popular form of photography during this period, and Shew was a well-known photographer. This photograph offers viewers a glimpse into the everyday lives of people in the mid-19th century.