Southworth & Hawes, Daguerreotype

Description

Southworth & Hawes, Daguerreotype.
Southworth & Hawes
was an early photographic firm in
Boston
, 1843–1863. Its partners,
Albert SandsSouthworth
(1811–1894) and
Josiah Johnson Hawes
(1808–1901), have beenhailed as the first great American masters of photography, whose work elevatedphotographic portraits to the level of fine art. Their images are prominent inevery major book and collection of early American photography.
Southworth & Hawes worked almostexclusively in the
daguerreotype
process.
Writing in the
Photographicand Fine Art Journal
, August 1855
, the contemporary Philadelphiadaguerreotypist
Marcus Aurelius Root
paid them this praise: "Their style, indeed, ispeculiar to themselves; presenting beautiful effects of light and shade, andgiving depth and roundness together with a wonderful softness or mellowness.These traits have achieved for them a high reputation with all true artists andconnoisseurs."
6
th
plate in afull black Boston push button case.
Excellent CONDITION. Cleaned andResealed by Casey Waters 08.10.03. Halo of tarnish.
APPEARANCE. A classic study of aBoston Beauty.