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From the Art Institute of Chicago record

An astonishingly sharp image on a mirrored surface, the daguerreotype was the most popular form of portraiture in the United States during the 1840s and ’50s. Because of its relatively low cost, people from all walks of life could afford to have their likeness made, many for the first time. This image—a daguerreotype of daguerreotypes—likely documents a college class. Reproducing the set of images allowed each student to have a picture of the entire class—setting the stage, much later, for yearbooks and even social media platforms such as Facebook.