Untitled (Portrait of a Man)
1856
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
6.3 × 5 cm (2 1/2 × 2 in.); Open case: 7.3 × 12.2 × 1.1 cm (2 7/8 × 4 13/16 × 7/16 in.); Case: 7.3 × 6.1 × 1.6 cm (2 7/8 × 2 7/16 × 11/16 in.); Plate: 6.4 × 5.1 cm (2 1/2 × 2 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249936
Art Historical Context
This intimate *Untitled (Portrait of a Man, created in 1856 by an unknown maker, captures the stoic gaze of its subject through the pioneering medium of daguerreotype. Measuring just 6.3 × 5 cm on its silvered copper plate, this tiny portrait was housed in a protective case—typical for the era, transforming it into a cherished personal keepsake, much like a locket oroch. Patrons at the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department can appreciate its mirror-like sheen, a hallmark of daguerreotypes that produced strikingly detailed, one-of-a-kind images without negatives. Invented...