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Young girl with arms crossed

Artist Jeremiah Gurney (American, 1812 - 1886)
Dateca. 1852-1858
MediumDaguerreotype
DimensionsPlate (half): 5 1/2 × 4 1/4 inches (13.97 × 10.8 cm)
Case (open): 6 × 9 5/8 × 3/8 inches (15.24 × 24.45 × 0.95 cm)
Case (closed): 6 × 4 3/4 × 5/8 inches (15.24 × 12.07 × 1.59 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2006.44.11
InscribedStamped on brass mat: "J. Gurney / 349 Broadway."
On View
Not on view
Collections
DescriptionHalf plate daguerreotype housed in traditional image package with leather case, red velvet cushion, and oval brass mat. Image of young girl wearing an off-the-shoulder formal dress with hands gently crossed over chest.Exhibition History

Rotation 2. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, October 24, 2007 - March  19, 2008, no cat.

Rotation 22. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, August 10, 2016- January 8, 2017, no cat.

Gallery Label
The exquisite artistry of this girl's pose and the silvery luster of the plate itself distinguish this work as one of the most remarkable of its time. Gurney was a pioneer of American photography. He took up the daguerreotype in 1840 and operated one of the leading studios in New York City for several decades.
Provenance
Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2006;
Given by the Hall Family Foundation to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2006.
Published References
Keith F. Davis. The Origins of American Photography: from Daguerreotype to Dry-Plate, 1839-1885. With contributions by Jane L. Aspinwall. (Kansas City, MO: Hall Family Foundation: in association with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2007), 42 (repro), 302.
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.


Young Girl
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1858-1860
2005.27.569
image overall
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1852-1858
2005.27.22
S. Fordham
Jeremiah Gurney
1845
2005.27.4720
recto overall with frame
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1852-1858
2008.41.14
Two Seated Men
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1853
2005.37.109
Portrait of a family
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1852-1858
2005.27.28
Portrait of a Young Man
George N. Barnard
ca. 1850
2005.27.4624
Woman with crossed arms
Unknown
ca. 1848
2005.37.408
Portrait of Woman
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1850
2005.27.4811
Mr. & Mrs. Moses Sperry Beach
Jeremiah Gurney
ca. 1855
2005.27.4841
Postmortem of Young Girl
Unknown
ca. 1855
2005.27.59