[Daguerreotype Plate Box]
1840s
![[Daguerreotype Plate Box] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/daguerreotype-plate-box-732217.webp)
Medium
Linden wood, plated iron, iron-gall ink
Dimensions
10 × 7 3/8 × 8 3/8 in. (25.4 × 18.7 × 21.3 cm)
Classification
Photographic Equipment
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Moran Gift, in memory of Louise Chisholm Moran, Joyce F. Menschel Gift, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 2016 Benefit Fund, and Gift of Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, Theresa Sackler and Family, 2016
Accession Number
2016.647
Art Historical Context
Step into the dawn of photography with this exquisite Daguerreotype Plate Box from the 1840s, a humble yet vital artifact from the medium's infancy. Invented by Louis Daguerre in 183, the daguerreotype produced stunning, mirror-like images on silver-pl copper sheets—the first practical photographic method to captivate the world. Studios and collectors treasured these fragile plates, which could tarnish or scratch easily, making protective storage like this box indispensable for preserving early portraits and views. Crafted from lightweight linden wood with plated iron reinforcements and label...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...