Untitled (Portrait of a Girl and Boy)
Artist
William Abbott Pratt
(American, born 1818)
CultureAmerican
Datecirca mid-1840s
MediumDaguerreotype
Dimensions6 × 4 3/4 in. (15.2 × 12.1 cm)
SignedEmobssed on velvet cushion: "W. A. PRATT / 139 MAIN St. / RICHMOND."
Credit LineGift of Christina and George Kemp
Object number2016.45.24
Not on view
DescriptionFull-length portrait of a young girl and boy in a leather case with double hook-and-eye closures. The case design features flowers contained in a shield with rectangular borders.Label TextWilliam A. Pratt American, b. England 1818, active 1844–1856 top Untitled (Portrait of a Girl and Boy), ca. mid-1840s Daguerreotype bottom Untitled (Portrait of a Girl), ca. 1852 Daguerreotype Early photography required long exposure times, which made capturing fidgety children especially challenging. Photographers often used props like tables and chairs to keep sitters still during an exposure, which could last 30 seconds or more depending on the lens, chemistry, and size of the photographic plate. Notice the bar that extends from the floor to the waist of the boy in the image of two children. Such devices were used to anchor sitters while photographers did their work. Even with the assist, the boy’s hand moves, leaving a subtle blur. Gift of Christina and George Kemp 2016.45.24, 2016.45.18 ProvenanceGeorge Kemp; gift to Chrysler Museum of Art, December 2016.Exhibition History"Photographs Take Time: Pictures from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, April 6 - August 26, 2018.