|
Home
>
Worthopedia – Price Guide
>
Fine Art >
Mascher Stereo Daguerreotype by McCarty of Washington
|
Terms and Conditions for using our site |
Mascher Stereo Daguerreotype by McCarty of Washington
Sold For:
 or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Notice the varieties in spelling The daguerreotypist is "McCartey" on the mat; then he becomes "M'Carty" in an advertisement behind the viewing flap. To further confound this issue, what looks like a piece of black repair tape at the top edge of the viewing flap is actually a label, upon which is printed (faintly) " M'Cartey's "! Such an odd mystery... John Craig's Daguerreian Registry , however, lists just one establishment in operation in Washington, D.C., owned by an Augustus McCarty, with William McCarty (a brother?) in his employ. I think, tfore, that it's safe to assume the daguerreotypist who made this fine, quarter-plate Mascher stereo package was Augustus McCarty. His address was, in 1853, at 4-1/2 Street West, between Pennsylvania and C Avenues. (Interestingly, a couple of years later McCarty is reported to have turned up in San Antonio , Texas .) Why the spelling confusion? Well, it is my best guess that the suppliers who stamped the mat, and those who printed the advertisement, simply messed up. We can only hope that Mr. McCarty got a healthy discount in each instance. I'm sure the history behind this error would make an interesting story. (Let me know if you have a different theory.) How well does this gentleman show up in stereo? The effect is startling. One great bonus in scrutinizing a well-made stereo daguerreotype is that, given the fact that it is rendered on a 100% silver plate (compared with photographs on a piece of paper, which is coated with maybe a 20% silver solution), the experience is like switching for a magic moment to bionic vision. Borrowing from computerspeak, it's as though one had an instant upgrade from 300 dpi to 1,000 dpi. In this case, McCarty got the focus spot-on. That huge tie is magnificent, the way it stands out from his vest and shirt! Gazing through the twin lenses, you feel like you can reach out to touch his prominent nose or count the bristly hairs in his beard ... if you dare. He has such a commanding presence that - silly me - when I first examined him, I had to look up pictures of Ulysses S. Grant to assure myself this was not he. You know this man must have had a deep, booming voice. I would guess he was a successful businessman rather than a soldier or politician. Condition: This is one of the rare instances w both exposures were taken by a single camera on a single plate. Another mark of excellence is evidence (on the back of the plate) that the plate had been re-silvered before taking the pictures. The left image shows small mat-marks at the upper left. The right image has what appear to be a slight brush to the left of the man's face, and another, smaller, one in the space to the right of his beard, however they are barely noticeable when viewed through the lenses. The plate was re-sealed in '92 and a note on the white tape states that the glass was replaced and t are no plate-marks. The case (correct me if I'm wrong - I can't find it in Berg's book - but I seem to recall it is called a "Halvorsen" case) is in fine shape, with good hinges and a strong clasp.
Items in the Worthopedia are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.
View Similar ItemsMore Items from eBay
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joining is free and gives you access to our Community & Forums.
If you are interested in our pricing data or other paid memberships, try our Full 7-day Free Trial Here.
By creating an account you agree to our Terms & Conditions
