Untitled [portrait of a young girl] 1858 - 1869

Jeremiah Gurney produced this daguerreotype of an unknown young girl sometime in the mid-19th century. In its time, photography was rapidly transforming portraiture, offering new possibilities for representation while also raising questions about art, likeness, and the very nature of seeing. The girl’s formal pose and elaborate dress, framed within a gilded case, speak to the democratization of portraiture during this era. What once was only available to the wealthy who could commission a painting, became accessible to the rising middle class. Gurney ran a successful photography studio in New York City and catered to this growing market. Yet, the daguerreotype, with its delicate surface and unique image, still held a certain preciousness and ritual significance. To truly understand this image, we can research photography's history, the social conventions of portraiture, and even genealogical records. We might consider how photographic studios became important sites of social exchange and visual culture in the 19th century. The meaning of this image is therefore found not only in the girl's likeness, but also in the complex interplay of social, economic, and technological forces that shaped its creation.