Mascher Stereo Daguerreotype by Hutchinson of Phila.

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Mascher Stereo Daguerreotype by Hutchinson of Phila.

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Sold Date: 06/30/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Fine Art

His face and hands have been very lightly tinted; the tablecloth is blue; and the gilded chain and red gemstone really stand out. The focus is so sharp that his prickly beard is startling in contrast to the slicked-back, oddly done-up hair on his head. His glossy vest must be made of silk. The coat, however, is of extremely heavy material, and those huge buttons, designed for comfort in gale-force winds, cause me to wonder in the man was a sea-captain. was obviously a man of substance - sadly anonymous today - but most likely preserved at the height of his powers. He lacks a wedding band, and I wonder if he had this expensive image made for his lady love?

These images, when viewed through the twin lenses, give the eerie impression of peering through a space-time portal at a frozen instant in the mid-nineteenth century. If I stare at him too long, I begin to imagine that at any moment he may turn his head to smile out at me...

In case you have difficulty reading the advertisement, it states:

"Thomas Hutchinson, Daguerreotypist, No. 234 North Second St. Philadelphia . Stereoscope Pictures Taken in the highest Perfection of the Art."

The front half of the Union Case is called "lyre in wide Portal" (Berg 1-45), and it is signed at the bottom right by the engraver R. Paine. The back half is called "The Lord's Prayer" (Berg 1-33), and it displays the words "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Matthew VI - 9" and "But Deliver Us From Evil." Both halves, which Berg values at $300 and $350 respectively, are in fine shape with tight hinges and square corners and only light wear marks.

The images had been re-silvered by the daguerreotypist (another sign of a quality product), and they are free of defects, except for the peripheral tarnish you can see. That strange blue tint you see at the bottom of the left image was made by my scan and does not exist in the plate. The seals are new. Unfortunately, someone in the past (not me!) had seen fit to replace some tears in the leather viewing flap with pieces of a different grain. I guarantee, however, that you not notice them when you gaze, fascinated, through the lenses upon this fine gentleman.