One of the earliest photographs in existence sold for $62,500 at Sotheby’s auction house in New York.
The photo, which was estimated to bring in anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000, was sold to an unidentified buyer. The 5.5-by-4-inch, black and white daguerreotype shows a New York country estate. The half-plate daguerreotype dating from 1848 shows what was then known as old Bloomingdale Road and referred to as “a continuation of Broadway.” In the foreground, the dirt road leads to an entry gate to the fence that surrounds the grounds. See the photo up-close » A home sits perched above what appears to be a fenced-in pasture or grazing field surrounded by evergreens.
The use of daguerreotype, which was invented by French artist Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, was common in the 1840s and 1850s, according to Daguerre.org. To create a daguerreotype, the image is exposed directly onto a polished surface of silver with a coating of silver halide and particles deposited by vapor, giving it a mirror-like, reflective finish.
