Young Woman, Simons, Philadelphia, c. 1845

An early quarter-plate daguerreotype portraying a young woman wearing a dark dress with a white collar. Her hair is parted at the center and drawn back, and she rests one hand against her cheek while leaning upon a closed book. The inclusion of the book is particularly interesting in a portrait from the 1840s, when women's access to formal education remained limited. Whether intended to suggest literacy, intellectual interests, or personal accomplishment, it contributes to the sitter's carefully composed presentation.

Montgomery P. Simons (1817–1877) was an important figure in Philadelphia's early photographic industry, working as both a daguerreotypist and a manufacturer of photographic cases. Active during the formative years of American photography, Simons produced portraits of prominent individuals and ordinary citizens. He later authored Photography in a Nut Shell (1858), a practical treatise on photographic processes. Dating from approximately 1845, this portrait represents the early development of commercial daguerreian portraiture in Philadelphia, one of America's principal centers of photographic innovation.

Photographer: Montgomery P. Simons (1817–1877), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Format: Daguerreotype

Size: Quarter-plate

Date: c. 1845

Condition: Very good