1840-1860 era Antique Photo Portrait- Restoration COMPLETE!

I sent the photo collage of the Daguerreotype to one of the Conservator's I conversed with prior to me deciding to do it myself. I was curious to see if they would say anything derogatory or positive. Here is the unedited reply, minus the last names of the individuals and company.

Hi Don,

In Peter's absence please allow me to comment on your daguerreotype. It does appear to be a daguerreotype created on a electroplated copper sheet (American Process). Often a hallmark can be found on plates near one corner, but this might be less likely with the small format of your daguerreotype.

You had a lot of success in dissolving the copper encrustations. My guess is that they formed at small sites on the plate where the silver coating was compromised and the copper sheet underneath is the source of the material. I would also guess that over time the green corrosion is likely to form again at these sites. While using a basic solution with ammonia may help clear the gunk off the plate I would recommend a second rinse in clear distilled water. I think corrosion is often caused by the basic environment in the plate packet and attributable to materials leaching out of the glass. After the rinse in water I usually follow with a quick rinse of acetone or ethanol with the plate held on edge, immediately followed by drying with low heat using a hair dryer.

I have used electrolytic cleaning to reduce tarnish on several occasions. There seems to be a point when the tarnish lifts off the plate into solution, but is sometimes redeposited onto the plate and becoming more entrenched. Sometimes switching the polarity during the cleaning helps push the materials off. This cleaning can be taken too far resulting in less contrast. Also the brass of the mat may now be more predisposed to localized tarnish where cleared of old tarnish and accretions. I guess I would consider applying a coating of a varnish or gum arabic to lessen the exposure to the environment and slow the deterioration process. The plate should be sealed into a new packet consisting of plate, mat and cover glass. A special tape is usually used; Filmoplast P90, though historically the daguerreotype would have likely been sealed with a strip of paper and some sort of glue around its perimeter. Usually the plate packet would be housed in a small case that was mass-produced for the purpose.

Congratulations on a wonderful little find and mystery. Good luck in your further research, and please feel free to contact us with any other questions.

Richard
Assistant Conservator
NOTE: I replied back to him that I did do actually three rinses afterwards with warm distilled water, I also told him I was fairly certain the vast majority of the copper corrosion came from the mat plate which I believe was copper,not brass, and it was gold plated on the viewing side. As far as protecting the mat, I did put a gold plating preserver on the mat plate to prevent any return of the corrosion. I did not use the Filmoplast he talks about, it would have had to be ordered, not available in any store I could find locally but I did find a acid free photographic tape that is basically the same thing, so I did seal the plate, mat and glass as he said to do.

I think overall I did everything right, so maybe that is why no really negative comment. Tomorrow I might send the photos to the Conservator in Boston who quoted me such a high restoration estimate and see what his reply is............

Don

Skrimpy, Dags were done with in 1860, and Ambrotypes and Tintypes took their place, I am staying with the fact this photo is most likely from the 1855-1860 at the latest range. I have tried contacting the relatives on one of the landowners and on three attempts to three separate email addys, they all were returned as undeliverable. Sad

I had gotten the email addys from genealogy website forums.

1840-1860 era Antique Photo Portrait- Restoration COMPLETE! - 6 March