Getty Museum

Portrait of a Man with Crossed Hands

Date

about 1845

Medium

Daguerreotype

Culture

American

Department

Photographs

Institution

Getty Museum

Probably created by an itinerant photographer who traveled rural districts in a studio wagon, this likeness was made under makeshift conditions. The light on the face is so strong that the portrait was probably made outdoors, using direct rather than reflected sunlight. The wrinkled cloth backdrop suggests the temporary nature of the setting. Still, it was probably a cherished likeness of its subject, its crisp detail and shimmering surface suggesting that is has been well cared for.

The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.