Lot 497:
Two 19th Century Photographs Comprising a Cased Daguerreotype and a Framed Venetian Scene
Description
A lot consisting of two distinct 19th-century photographic items. The first is a daguerreotype portrait depicting a seated gentleman in spectacles and a young child. The image is a unique positive on a silver-plated copper plate, exhibiting the characteristic mirror-like reflective surface of the process. The portrait is set behind glass within an ornate gilt-metal mat featuring embossed floral scrolls, housed in a leather-covered wooden frame. The frame appears to be the bottom half of a traditional hinged union case or leather case, with the lid missing. The second item is a hand-coloured photographic print, likely an albumen print, depicting a busy marine festival scene. The architecture, including a domed structure and prominent campanile, along with the numerous gondolas and decorative barges, identifies the location as Venice, Italy. The scene shows a large crowd gathered along a quay and on the water. The print is mounted behind glass in a moulded gilt-wood frame with foliate corner decorations and a cream-coloured card mount. No signatures, maker’s marks, or labels are visible on the front of either item.
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