Delightful quarter-plate daguerreotype of Merit Victor Webster at five years old.  This charming image brings a smile to our faces as the photographer has chosen an extremely large table for Merit to rest his elbow.  A true cutie, Merit would be rather playing with his dog or any other activity than having his portrait captured!  We are sure he appreciated this later in life though as the Websters were a very prominent New England family. 

According to the website, http://dunhamwilcox.net/me/me_bio_webster.htm   “Merit Victor, only son of Benjamin and Sarah A. (Senter) Webster, was born in Portsmouth, June 20, 1851 and educated in the public schools of that city. At the age of about twenty years he engaged in newspaper work, which has ever since been his vocation. He remained in Portsmouth until 1872. For thirty-five years has been associated with The Boston Transcript. Since 1879 he has been in Charlestown, Mass., where he is now living. He married Nov., 1873, Ella M. Shapleigh, of Eliot, Maine. Children: Benjamin F., Merit (died an infant), Fred Paterson, Ethel B. and Arthur G.”

The website Walk Portsmouth, http://walkportsmouth.blogspot.com/2014/06/webster-house.html, has a great history of Victor’s family and the Oracle house where he lived when this image was captured is still in existence along with the later family home, which is now a funeral home. Merit’s father, “Benjamin F. Webster was a wealthy building contractor who once had vast real estate holdings. Born in Epsom, New Hampshire, he received a basic education and moved to Portsmouth in 1841. Webster was seventeen years old when he began his remarkable career as a lowly apprentice carpenter. He married Sarah A. Senter in 1849, and built their first home, a small cottage on Austin Street, two years later. While living there, they had a son, Merit Victor Webster in 1851, and a daughter, Stella in 1854.The Websters moved into the old Oracle House in 1855. Now located at 38 Marcy Street, at that time the historic building sat in Haymarket Square at 2 Court Street. The small family resided in the Oracle House for twenty-six years, until 1881, when they moved to the newly-completed Webster House.Benjamin Franklin Webster was a leading member of St. John’s Masonic Lodge and the Mechanics Fire Society, as well as a proprietor of the Portsmouth Athenaeum. His contributions to the city include the renovation of three local churches and construction of numerous houses, the Cabot Street School, the Kearsarge House, and the old Congress Block after fire destroyed the original.”

Merit certainly was a handsome young lad and he is quite adorable in his long plaid buttoned tunic that is loosely singed with a belt and circular buckle.  His matching pants and a white collar complete his cute outfit.  The image is in very good plus condition with very nice tones and contrast with some light tinting to his cheeks.  A few small tarnish spots along with some perimeter tarnish as seen.  The plate had old seals intact and we have resealed it now with a new glass.  It resides in a full case and the label with Merit’s period identification and age are inset in the preserver as found on the outside of the glass.  A later note behind identifies him as AGW’s father which was his son Arthur G. Webster.  A historical New England image which has wonderful research potential and possibly a connection to Daniel Webster!  $125