Attributed to Gabriel Harrison

sixth-plate daguerreotype, hand-tinted, cased, 'Harrison & Hill, Artists, 283 Fulton St. Brooklyn' stamped on the velvet lining, late 1840s or early 1850s

Stanley B. Burns, Mirror Mirror: The Burns Collection Daguerreotypes (New York: The Burns Archive Press, 2012), unpaginated introduction

This clear portrait of a young man with checkered coat, necktie, and lopsided hat is generally clean. There is very delicate rouge-tinting on the sitter's cheeks. As is visible in the catalogue illustration, there is a very thin border of tarnish along the upper, lower, and right edges of the decorative mat. Some of the very minor visual 'noise' one sees in the illustration appears to be due to residue and fibers caught on the underside of the cover glass, and not to accretions on the plate. The case is rubbed overall, with occasional small losses to the leather, and the cover is detached.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The ‘Harrison’ referred to on this case’s stamped velvet lining was Gabriel Harrison, who among other talents, was a painter, writer, man of the theatre, and photographer.  According to Craig’s Daguerreian Registry, he was listed in directories throughout the 1850s as operating a studio at 283 Fulton Street and, from 1852 to 1856, in partnership at this address with George Waldo Hill, of whom very little is known.