McAllister's Optical Shop, Philadelphia

December 12, 1854

Frederick DeBourg Richards

Associated Names
Frederick DeBourg Richards

Artist, American, 1822 - 1903

This is a photograph of an urban street scene with several multi-story buildings. The image captures a row of buildings with various businesses on their ground floors, identifiable by signs on the facades. The architecture features numerous windows, many of which have shutters. The second building displays signs reading 'McAllister & Co.' with items visible through the windows and signs advertising services such as 'CARD & JOB PRINTING'. The scene is devoid of human figures but suggests activity through the open shutters and displayed store signs. The photograph is presented in an elegant frame.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    daguerreotype

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro Ph.D

  • Dimensions

    image: 18.9 × 13.7 cm (7 3/8 × 5 3/8 in.)
    case (closed): 23 × 18 × 2.3 cm (9 1/16 × 7 1/16 × 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2017.191.4


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Marion S. Carson, Philadelphia; Joe Buberger, CT; Janos Novomeszky, Hungary; Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro Collection, New York, 2001; gift to NGA, 2017.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2019

  • The Eye of the Sun: Nineteenth-Century Photographs from the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2019, unnumbered catalogue.

Wikidata ID

Q64147713

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