Untitled (Portrait of Seated Woman with Book)
1855
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
8.2 × 6.9 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.); Open case: 9.3 × 16.2 × 1 cm (3 11/16 × 6 7/16 × 7/16 in.); Case: 9.3 × 8.1 × 1.5 cm (3 11/16 × 3 1/4 × 5/8 in.); Plate: 8.3 × 7 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249961
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This intimate daguerreotype, *Untitled (Portrait of Se Woman with Book)*, a poised woman seated with an open book in her lap, her gaze directed thoughtfully off-camera. Created by an unknown in 1855 and now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography Media Department, the tiny image measures just 8.2 × 6.9 cm, preserved within a protective case that highlights its role as a cherished personal object. Daguerreotypes like this one represent a pivotal moment in art history: the dawn of photography. Invented in 1839 by Louis Daguerre, the process involved exposing a silver-plated copper sheet to mercury vapor and light, yielding a strikingly detailed, one-of-a-kind positive image—mirror-reversed and shimmering with a unique metallic sheen. By 1855, at the height of its popularity, daguerreotypes were the premier choice for portraits, democratizing portraiture beyond oil paintings for the middle class. The woman's book suggests literacy and introspection, common tropes in mid-19th-century portraiture that reflected emerging ideals of educated femininity. Encased for safekeeping, this diminutive treasure underscores photography's transformative power, turning everyday moments into enduring legacies just as the medium evolved toward more reproducible formats.