[Milkman Holding Tin Jug and Cup]
Not on view
This charming daguerreotype (a direct-positive image formed on a silver-plated sheet of copper) of a mid-1850s American milkman with the attributes of his trade—a large tin serving jug and a measuring cup—is an occupational portrait of uncommon virtuosity. A young deliveryman, likely the son of a dairy farmer, tied up his horse and wagon and stole a few minutes out of his busy day to sit for an inexpensive keepsake in a local portrait studio. Carefully embracing the milk can, he honors the moment and allows a half-smile to grace his likeness. The effect creates a winning portrait brimming with honesty and peculiarly American homespun poetics.
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