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Formal Portrait of a boy from the waist up in an oval velvet daguerreotype half case.

A boy of possibly early teenage years, is nicely dressed in a buttoned-up shirt, bow tie, dark vest and jacket, with a handkerchief in his right pocket. His face is slightly hand-colored for a life-like appearance. His wavy hair is combed back, he holds a solid posture while facing forward, mouth closed with no smile, his light eyes look toward the viewer. One arm leans against a table on the right with a closed hand. Soft diffuse light enters from the upper right. The background is undescribed. Dust is evident inside the case or perhaps in the emulsion.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2018.87
People
James Presley Ball, Sr., American (Frederick County, Virginia 1825 - 1904 Honolulu, Hawaii)
Title
Untitled (mixed race boy)
Classification
Photographs
Work Type
photograph
Date
c. 1854-1860
Places
Creation Place: North America, United States, Ohio, Cincinnati
Culture
American
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/361684

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Sixth plate Daguerreotype
Technique
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
9 × 8 cm (3 9/16 × 3 1/8 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: lower left of brass mat, stamped: J. P. BALL / CINCINNATI

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[Greg French Early Photography, Jamaica Plain, MA], sold; to Harvard Art Museums, 2018

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Kenyon C. Bolton III Fund
Accession Year
2018
Object Number
2018.87
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu