Portrait of a Young Boy and Girl, anonymous, 1845

daguerreotype, h 119mm × w 88mm More details

The daguerreotype is the earliest photographic process, named for its French inventor, Louis Daguerre (1787–1851). There is only one of each such photo, a unique image on a copper plate with a layer of silver. These gem-like objects work as a mirror and are sometimes difficult to see. They are thus displayed here in reflective black boxes.