For your consideration are six 1850-1880s Daguerreotype photographs of various people. Developed by Frenchman Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre in the 1830s and made public in 1839, the Daguerreotype method was a turning point in photography history. It required several crucial actions. The light-sensitive medium was a highly polished copper plate coated with silver. Iodine fumes were used to sensitize this plate, coating the surface with a layer of silver iodide, then the camera lens is focused and the image is 'burned' onto the sensitized plate. Depending on the lighting, the exposure time could range from seconds to minutes. The latent image was made visible after the plate had been exposed using mercury vapor development. It was then fixed with sodium thiosulfate solution, removing any hidden silver iodide. After the process, the daguerreotypes produced a highly detailed and sharp image, becoming the popular choice for portraiture in the mid-19th century. The first shows a black colored, carved wood case with one side of the inside showing a wine red felt cushion and the other side housing the photo. The photo shows a man in a suit with a bow tie staring directly at the viewer. The photo is surrounded by a gold colored frame. The second shows an almost identical case, with the photo showing a young man in a suit looking directly towards the viewer. The third shows a similar case to the previous ones but features a young woman with her hair combed nicely in the photo. The fourth shows a similar case to the previously stated and shows an older woman in the photo wearing a bonnet. The fifth shows a similar case to the previous ones and features a young woman looking of the right hand side. The sixth and final in this collection shows a similar black colored case and features a young woman looking directly at the viewer. The cases and photos show good condition overall with some slight wear present due to their antique age and use over the years, but no obvious sigsn of damage are present. The cases measure from 2 3/16" L x 2 1/4" W x 7/8" D to 1 15/16" L x 1 11/16" W x 1/2" D. The collection weighs 232.4 grams.