“Walt Whitman,” daguerreotype attributed to Gabriel Harrison, 1850s. From the collection of the New York Public Library.

Historically Important Daguerreotype Sells for $19,250 in Pennsylvania

HATFIELD, PENN. – At an Alderfer Auction Company Catalogue Sale conducted Thursday, September 14, a most unique and historically important sixth-plate occupational daguerreotype sold for $19,250.

The image depicted a young man seated waist-up working on a side-armature sewing machine, with tools resting around the machine base. A note, written at a later date, stating: “Stephen Ambrose Morse about 1848, working on the first sewing machine,” accompanied the lot.

It took seven active phone lines to handle the outside bidding interest against the gallery bidders. When the bidding battle was over this rare prize went to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. In the future the piece will be on exhibit at the National Museum of American History in the sewing machine section.

Price quoted includes a ten percent buyers premium.

A full review of this sale will appear in an upcoming issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly.