Actor in Costume
Artist
Unknown
Dateca. 1850
MediumDaguerreotype
DimensionsPlate (three-quarter): 6 × 4 1/2 inches (15.24 × 11.43 cm)
Case (open): 8 1/8 × 13 1/4 × 3/8 inches (20.64 × 33.66 × 0.95 cm)
Case (closed): 8 1/8 × 6 5/8 × 5/8 inches (20.64 × 16.83 × 1.59 cm)
Case (open): 8 1/8 × 13 1/4 × 3/8 inches (20.64 × 33.66 × 0.95 cm)
Case (closed): 8 1/8 × 6 5/8 × 5/8 inches (20.64 × 16.83 × 1.59 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2010.35.20
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionImage of a man wearing a crown and elaborate costume with red-colored tights. He stands with his hand on the back of a chair. This three quarter plate cased daguerreotype is heavily colored and housed in a brass mat in an unadorned pebbled leather case with a burgundy red velvet liner.Gallery LabelThough the pose and expression in this photograph are stiff, the extensive hand-coloring enlivens the portrait, drawing attention to the fine details in the actor’s costume. Sitting for a daguerreotype portrait in the 1850s required patience and a certain degree of stamina. Photographic exposure times—which varied according to plate sensitivity and studio lighting—typically ranged from three to 30 seconds. Studio props, such as chairs and head braces, were used to help sitters remain as motionless as possible for the duration of the exposure.
Michael G. Macdonald;
Heritage Auction, Dallas, TX, Grand Format Political and Americana Auction (6035), lot 47199, May 22, 2010;
Purchased from Hertiage Auction by The Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2010;
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2010.
Heritage Auction, Dallas, TX, Grand Format Political and Americana Auction (6035), lot 47199, May 22, 2010;
Purchased from Hertiage Auction by The Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2010;
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2010.
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