Untitled (Portrait of a Man) 1855

Editor: So here we have an intriguing daguerreotype, "Untitled (Portrait of a Man)," dating back to 1855, currently residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. It is such a stark, but also cheeky image. There is something about his grin that feels very alive. How do you read this piece? Curator: Alive is the perfect word! To me, this isn't just a stiff portrait. It whispers a story – maybe he’s just had a lucky hand at cards, or perhaps he’s caught the eye of someone special. Daguerreotypes, especially, capture such a fleeting moment. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way! The quick flash and that single take would certainly solidify whatever energy was happening. What's with the frame though? Is that typical? Curator: Oh, the presentation is almost as important as the picture! The frame adds such warmth to the stern man. It's opulent, gilded. Back then, the whole process – from the click of the camera to the framing – would have made it such a lavish affair, and also suggest the subject had some wealth. So he might be winking for several reasons. Editor: You’ve really opened my eyes to the narrative potential within a simple portrait. I guess photography, even in its infancy, was more than just capturing an image. Curator: Exactly! It's about immortalizing a feeling, a possibility, a moment. I see art, and more than that, the seeds of our shared experience reflected back at us. Don't you? Editor: I completely agree. It’s a little portal in time that speaks volumes about not only the sitter, but us now, looking in!