The Mystery of the Three Ladies

As I was poking around my dad's basement the other day, I came upon an awesome find that he had tucked in a drawer of my grandfather's old roll top desk. Slipped inside one of those plastic covers that used to protect savings passbooks, was a little tin frame. I had to pick it up, and when I did an image of three women appeared. I was excited, but the all too familiar question arose - who were they?  No names, nothing.

Pulling Maureen Taylor's Preserving Your Family Photographs book off the bookshelf, it would seem this little gem is a daguerreotype. It is in a case. It has a shiny, mirror-like surface. And it has to be held at a certain angle in order to see the image.  Holding straight on one can make out faint faces, but it has to be tipped for the facial details and dresses to appear. The case itself has the familiar gold-faced framed, a fairly thick piece of glass, and a tin (or some such metal) backing. And overall, it's dimensions fit the size for a typical sixth-plate daguerreotype.

Based on the review, that would date this particular photo from 1840-about 1855, when ambrotype and tintype photos rose in popularity

I was able, after a few attempts, to capture the image digitally. The reflective nature of the polished metal and glass did add a little challenge.  So, I now have a great image of these three ladies to work with.  But alas, there's that mystery of who were they?  Sisters? Cousins? Friends?  Where they relations on my family tree and if so, which of my paternal lines? Mower? Vickery? Richardson? Eastman? Dexter? Gibbs? Gould?  I unfortunately do not see any family resemblances to aid.

So for now, I'll just treasure and enjoy the photo of the three mysterious ladies.

The Mystery of the Three Ladies