Untitled (Mother and Child in an Informal Pose)
1839/60
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
Plate: 8.2 × 7 cm (3 1/4 × 2 13/16 in.); Case: 9.2 × 8 × 1.6 cm (3 5/8 × 3 3/16 × 11/16 in.)
Classification
photograph
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
207457
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Because of its crisp, faithful detail and relatively low price, the daguerreotype—a copper plate coated with silver and burnished to a reflective shine—gained the moniker “mirror with a memory” and allowed millions of Americans in the 19th century to have their likenesses made for the first time. Some of the most notable daguerreotypes were made by commercial photographers whose identities are now unknown. This intimate portrait of a mother and child is lasting evidence of the desire to arrest f...
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...