Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes, The Letter,
c. 1850, daguerreotype, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Patrons'
Permanent Fund 1999.94.1
The daguerreotype is a unique, finely detailed image produced on a highly polished sheet of silver-plated copper. A viewer must observe the image at the proper angle to avoid the interference of reflections.
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