Color and Pattern

A Classic Portrait

This sixth plate daguerreotype from around the end of the 1840s or early 1850s feels very much how a painted portrait would be composed. Much like the portrait below of Mrs. Collins by New England artist Ammi Phillips. This young woman is posed seated with one arm resting on a small side table with the other relaxed in her lap. We see her in three-quarter view, also similar to the painting.

Mrs. Collins by Ammi Phillips, c. 1850, collection of the American Folk Art Museum

Unlike the painting, the woman in the photo has narrower sleeves, though they are still open at the wrist. In the language of fashion magazines of the time, this type of sleeve was described as “demi-open.” You can see a similar one on the figure holding the spy glass in this fashion print from 1848.

Godey’s Lady’s Book and Magazine, 1848

The the quiet simplicity of her pose is not reflected in the printed fabric of her dress. It could be delaine, which is a type of light weight fabric of a mix of wool and cotton, or it could be a wool challis, another light weight woolen cloth, both textiles were commonly used bases for colorful printed patterns. I imagine this woman's dress might have a brown or dark blue ground, both were popular in the mid-1800s. The picture below shows a dress of the era so you can see the color tones that were often used in the 1840s.

1840s dress, courtesy August Auctions

She's also wearing a dress apron, likely made of black silk taffeta. Wearing dress aprons was a tradition across Europe and in America from as far back as the 1500s. As opposed to work aprons which protected the wearer and their clothes, dress aprons served no practical purpose and were just another type of accessory a woman could wear. I think it is interesting this woman wears no jewelry, no rings, no earrings, no watch chain - I can't even see a brooch at her neck. Perhaps she thought the print of her dress and her apron was enough or perhaps she was someone who didn’t like wearing jewelry.