Lot 19

Lot 19

Heavenly hand tinted English quarter-plate daguerreotype of a distinguished gentleman. This is not identified but the chair is commonly seen in daguerreotypes by Oliver Sarony. Sarony was born in Quebec and was trained as a daguerreotypist in NY before travelling to England.  He set-up his studio in Scarborough which eventually, because of all the business he brought to town the square where his studio was located, was renamed “Sarony Square.” Information is courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London. This dramatic plate is quite lavish, with Sarony’s gold gilded chair and a red drape next to an enormous column. To the left we see a tinted stormy sky ominously hanging off the cliffs along a blue tinted lake. The older man sits quite stoically staring intently at the photographer. The plate has vibrant tones and contrast and the hand tinting is as professional as you will find. There are a few small light scratches that are harmless in our opinion. We have resealed it with a new glass and it is housed in a lovely book style case with clasp.