Man, Vance, California, c. 1850s

A quarter-plate daguerreotype portraying a seated young man wearing a dark suit, waistcoat, and necktie. One hand rests upon a book, and his watchband has been selectively highlighted with applied gold pigment. The portrait is housed in its original case with a gilt brass mat and an embossed red velvet pad identifying Vance's California photographic establishment.

Robert H. Vance (1825–1876) was one of the most significant pioneering photographers of the American West. Arriving in California during the Gold Rush, he established a successful photographic business and documented the rapidly changing landscape of the new state. In 1851, he exhibited more than 300 daguerreotype views of California in New York City, establishing his national reputation. Vance also employed and trained Carleton E. Watkins, who subsequently became one of America's most celebrated landscape photographers.

Photographer: Robert H. Vance (1825–1876), California

Format: Daguerreotype with applied gilding

Size: Quarter-plate

Date: c. 1850s

Condition: Very good