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History of Science Museum

Two Photographs (Daguerreotype and Collodion Positive on Glass) of a Native American Woman and Man, c.1855

Inventory Number 91018


Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.91018

Item type
Object
Provenance
Bequeathed by Henry Minn in 1961. The list of Minn's bequest suggests a connection with Miss Acland, many of whose photographic things came to Minn.
Physical material
Copper
Glass
Plastic
Brass
Object type
Photograph
Inventory No
91018
Accession Number
1961-137/34

Description

The case contains two photographs.

Left: daguerreotype of a woman of Central American appearance, seated half length, facing front, wearing western style costume including a dark cape (or sheet) and a hat. Plain backdrop. Tinted in pink and blue and flesh tone. Pinchbeck frame and plain matt with shaped aperture.

Right: collodion positive on glass (ambrotype) of a man, seated three-quarter length, facing front, wearing Native American or American Indian costume including skirt, sash decorated with ?beads, and headband with feathers; he carries a knife in his right hand, and his shirt has holes in it. Plain light background. Tinted in pink and blue, rather poorly. Pinchbeck frame and decorated oval mat.

The case is a heavily relief moulded American union case (a thermoplastically moulded material patented in 1854), the relief decoration a scene of deer within a decorative surround, both front and back. Two brass hinges, and single integral pressure clasp (not working).