Untitled (Mother and Child in an Informal Pose)

Because of its crisp, faithful detail and relatively low price, the daguerreotype—a copper plate coated with silver and burnished to a reflective shine—gained the moniker “mirror with a memory” and allowed millions of Americans in the 19th century to have their likenesses made for the first time. Some of the most notable daguerreotypes were made by commercial photographers whose identities are now unknown. This intimate portrait of a mother and child is lasting evidence of the desire to arrest fleeting moments and commemorate close family ties.