Mother and Child
1862
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1862
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a dark dress holds a baby wrapped in white, their faces lit softly. The image is small, shiny, and fits in a velvet-lined case. This is a daguerreotype—an early photo made on a silver-coated copper plate. No negatives, no copies. Every one is unique. The process was new in America in the 1840s, and families rushed to capture moments like this. Look up more daguerreotypes at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
