Jeremiah Gurney

whole-plate daguerreotype, hand-tinted and with gilt detail, stamped 'J. Gurney' and '349 Broadway' on the mat, cased, 1850s

Haifa, The Center for the Study of the United States at Haifa University, A Dream Deferred: A Photographic History of the African American Experience 1848-1928, November 2002 - February 2003

Indiana State Museum, Shadows & Substance: African American Images from the Burns Archive, January - May 2009

Albany, New York State Museum, Shadows & Substance: African American Images from the Burns Archive, October 2011 - March 2012

Stanley B. Burns, Mirror Mirror: The Burns Collection Daguerreotypes (New York: The Burns Archive Press, 2012), pl. 31

'The Collection of Stanley B. Burns, M. D.,' Aperture 124, Connoisseurs & Collections, Summer 1991, p. 45

The details of this large, handsome plate are impressive. Gilt detailing has been applied to the sitter's earrings, rings, pocket watch, and cross brooch. There is faint green tinting on the patterned tablecloth and plant. The following are visible upon close inspection: fingerprints along the right edge and in the upper portion of the image; a large, irregular scratch in the lower-center portion of the image; and a few pen-point-sized rust-colored spots and scattered constellations of tiny matte accretions of indeterminate nature. In raking light, swiping, scuffing, and superficial scratches are visible. There is a thin area of dark tarnish at the upper and right edges. There are scattered black specks on the mat. The cover of the large green leather case is detached but present. It has a purple velvet lining. The case is scratched overall, there are losses of leather along the edges, and the lower edges of the case are splitting.
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.