Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man)
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
14 × 10.8 cm (5 9/16 × 4 5/16 in.); Open case: 15 × 23.8 × 1 cm (5 15/16 × 9 3/8 × 7/16 in.); Case: 15 × 11.9 × 1.7 cm (5 15/16 × 4 11/16 × 11/16 in.); Plate: 14 × 10.8 cm (5 1/2 × 4 1/4 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249965
Art Historical Context
**Untitled (Portrait of a Man)**, a daguerreotype by Jeremiah D. Wells from 1, captures the poised formality of mid-19th-century portrait. Measuring just 14 × 10.8 cm, this intimate image of a standing man exemplifies the daguerreotype process—photography's groundbreaking debut, introduced by Louis Daguerre in 1839. Wells, an active daguerreotypist during this era, produced a one-of-a-kind positive image on a polished silvered copper plate, housed in a protective case (open: 15 × 23.8 × 1 cm) typical for displaying these delicate treasures at home or in studios. Daguerreotypes like this revol...