Lot 143

A.P. Critchlow & Co. Thermoplastic Union Case Containing (2) Sixth Plate Daguerreotypes - Gorgeous!

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A.P. Critchlow & Co. Thermoplastic Union Case Containing (2) Sixth Plate Daguerreotypes - Gorgeous!

Estimate: $800 - $1,000

Starting Bid: $260

(0 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

19th C. Photography
n.p., ca. 1856
A.P. Critchlow & Co. Thermoplastic Union Case Containing (2) Sixth Plate Daguerreotypes - Gorgeous!
Photographs

An A.P. Critchlow & Co. (Florence, Massachusetts) thermoplastic "Union Case" containing two Sixth Plate daguerreotypes. Ca. 1856. The case, which is almost certainly made of Critchlow's trademarked "Florence compound," consisted of lampblack, wood fiber/sawdust, and gum shellac, and was a versatile type of early plastic. The case contains two Sixth Plate daguerreotypes: an older man holding a book on one side, and a teenage boy on the other side. With an "A.P. Critchlow & Co. … Oct. 14, 1856" printed label found on the right side. A small chip affects the lower left corner of the front cover of the case, else near fine. The daguerreotypes have isolated spotting and metal corrosion, with a tiny area of verdigris affecting the left brass mat. No maker's marks. The cover glass and brass mats are intact. The overall case size is 3.5" x 3.875" x 1.125".

Alfred P. Critchlow (1813-1881) was a British-born American manufacturer who experimented with early plastics. The A.P. Critchlow & Co. was short-lived - operating only between 1853-1857 - before it underwent several ownership transfers and name transfers. The later iterations of the company flourished making photographic cases like this one until the mid-1860s.

This A.P. Critchlow & Co. case pattern is 1-93, "Child in a Tree, Farm Scene," which depicts a nude child climbing up a ladder, holding a beer mug in one hand and a scythe in the other. [For further reference, please see Paul K. Berg, "Nineteenth Century Photographic Cases and Wall Frames" (2003)]. In the case interior, a printed paper label located behind the rightmost daguerreotypes reads: "A. P. CRITCHLOW & CO., / Manufacturers of / Daguerreotype Cases. / A.P.C. & CO. / Are the Original Inventors of the / Composition for the Union Case / (so called,) including all the various shades / of color and fineness of texture pecu- / liar to their manufacture and of the / Embracing Riveted Hinges, thus / securing them from breaking out / as do others that are inserted / with or without a / metal brace. / Hinge Patented / OCT. 14, 1856."

The case contains two Sixth Plate daguerreotypes: on the left is a soberly dressed older man holding up a volume of John Frost's "Pictorial History of the United States, From the Discovery by the Northmen in the Tenth Century, to the Present Time," originally published in Hartford, Connecticut by publishers Case, Tiffany and Burnham in 1846. It has been proposed that the sitter is John Frost, author of the book. The prominent positioning of the book in the portrait succeeded in communicating that the sitter was an intellectual.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: case: 3.5" x 3.875" x 1.125"
  • Medium: Photographs

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000