Untitled (The Coit Family)
1855/56
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
15 × 18.1 cm (5 15/16 × 7 3/16 in.); Open case: 19.6 × 33.2 × 1.4 cm (7 3/4 × 13 1/8 × 9/16 in.); Case: 19.6 × 16.6 × 2.2 cm (7 3/4 × 6 9/16 × 7/8 in.); Plate: 12.7 × 17.8 cm (5 × 7 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
250076
Art Historical Context
Step into the dawn of photography with *Untitled (The Coit)*, a poignant daguerreotype portrait from1855/56, now treasured in the Art Institute of's Photography and Media Department Captured on a modest 12.7 × 17.8 cm silverated copper sheet, this one-of-a-kind image—housed in its original protective case—offers a direct window into mid-19th-century American life. Daguerreotypes like this were the first practical photographic process, introduced in 1839, prized for their astonishing detail and lifelike clarity but demanding sitters remain perfectly still during exposures that could last minute...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...