Seed Pearl Necklace and Bracelets

[James]

Hello Roger ... you asked about the banning of the photograph from eBay, the gold watch chain, and corroborative evidence?
While the photo was listed on eBay years ago, a gentleman associated with the ALPLM contacted the owner and expressed concern about the listing, stating that eBay was not the proper forum to debate the issue of authenticity and that he intended to contact eBay officials about the listing. The listing was subsequently cancelled by eBay with the explanation that it was in violation of an "intellectual copyright" clause set forth in their rules.
The center or bottom portion of the watch chain shown in the dag image appearing to be larger than the upper ends of the chain is the result of photographic distortion and the manner in which gold reacts with the chemical makeup of a daguerreotype. In the late 1990's I ran across an old reference book at the local library that explained at some length this reaction to gold during the daguerrean process. Over the years I've attempted to locate other books or websites that touched on this subject with no luck, and the book was no longer in the library in later years, most likely having been sold in one of their old book sales they did periodically in order to upgrade their reading materials. I would assume that any professional historian whose research is focused on daguerreotypy would have some knowledge of this phenomenon.
Photographic distortion is inherent in all forms of photography and affects the daguerrean process moreso than others due to the long exposure time required.
The photographic image produced by the daguerrean process is "different" than that produced by any other method of photography. If you have any doubts about that, study the 1846-'48 daguerrean image of Abe. As suggested in earlier posts on this thread, try to find Abraham Lincoln in that image. You won't do it. He doesn't exist, at least not the Lincoln that we are all familiar with. To a lesser degree, the same holds true with the "companion" daguerreotype of Mary from the same time period. Compare either of those images with photos taken by an entirely different process a mere ten to fifteen years later. Did their entire physical appearance and facial structure change in that relatively short length of time? No. It's the result of the various photographic methods employed to capture their likeness.
It's been said by some photographic experts that daguerreotypy is the truest form of representational reality ever invented, including modern methods. So why would a mirror image with what has been described as having 3-D qualities produced by the best photographic method ever invented look a bit different than than those images emblazoned onto a piece of glass (ambrotype), a piece of tin (tintype), or a piece of paper (carte-de-visite)? It really self-explanatory.
Abraham Lincoln was six feet - four inches tall. Mary was five feet - two inches tall. Abe's height was disproportionately in his unusually long legs. In the Abe and Mary image, when comparing the necklines and waistlines of the sitters, it is clear that there is an obvious and considerable height differential, even without factoring in Abe's long legs. According to his contemporaries, Abe was no taller than an average man when seated, that only when he stood dis he tower above other men due to his unusually long legs (Lincoln - An Illustrated Biography ... by Phillip and Peter Kunhardt). There is ample visual evidence of the fourteen inch disparity in height.
There are countless biographies that describe the physical traits and characteristics of both Abe and Mary. (Mary had dark brown hair, light blue eyes, etc.) There are a couple of points of note, one of which is also highlighted in the Kunhardt's book. Mary was seldom pleased with her photographic likeness, even attempting to have Matthew Brady destroy the negatives of some of her photos. She complained that her "look" was too stern and her hands would appear too large in her images.
One identifying scar that is not mentioned in her biographies is the large scar on her forehead above her right eye. It is quite distinctive in shape and size, appears clearly in the dag image, and in some of her other photos where the resolution permits such an examination.
While on the subject of Mary, years ago when the daguerreotype was still listed on eBay, the owner was contacted by Michael Ballard, an archivist at Mississippi State University and told that while he (Ballard) didn't necessarily agree with their assessment, a couple of Lincoln experts were convinced that the woman pictured was indeed Mary Todd Lincoln, but that they "couldn't reconcile the image of Abe". He said they thought the man seated next to her was most likely her father, Robert Smith Todd (who died in 1849). When pressed for more details on the subject later on, Mr. Ballard refused to respond to email inquiries. He has since passed away.
Abraham Lincoln was an extraordinarily physically distinctive man, to say the least. He had a multitude of identifying scars and characteristics, but only a few are described in any great detail in biographies. At the top of the list is the mole on the right side of his cheek centered in the crease to the right of his lips. (Albert Kaplan has a website titled ... lincolnportrait.com ... that goes into exhaustive detail about this and every other scar on Lincoln's face). This mole is very prominent in nearly all of Abe's photographs, with the exception of the 1846 daguerreotype and a few others. In some photos the mole is minimized due to the angle of his head and the lighting used by the photographer. For the same reasons just mentioned, in a couple of his photos, the mole is nearly non-existent.
In addition to the more publicized and well-known mole on the right side of his face, there were two moles on the left side of his face, with the uppermost of these two moles being in about the same location directly opposite the one on the right. The bottom left mole is hidden near the edge of his beard but the upper left mole can be seen clearly on the actual daguerreotype, and to a lesser extent in the online images.
Abe had a cleft in his chin that was very distinct in shape and size. The right side of Abe's face was more fully developed than the left side (some historians suggest this was the result of being kicked in the head by a horse as a young boy) and not only the cleft but the entire lower chin and even his nose "pulled" to the right. This is obvious in the dag image.
Abe had a row of pockmarks directly below his left lip that appear as a dark line in most of his photos due to a lack of resolution. These pockmarks are seen in the dag image.
Abe had a blemish or bump or whatever you want to call it directly above the corner of his upper left lip. This is seen some of his photos and in the dag image.
Abe had a small crescent shaped scar in the center of his right cheek in line with center of his nose. This scar is seen in some of his photos and in the dag image.
In the "Gettysburg" photo, a small but prominent knot or bump or blemish can be seen near the hairline about midway on his forehead above his left eye. Very few of his photos show this, but is seen in the dag image.
Abe's right lower lip was larger or thicker than his left lower lip. This is seen in all of his photos and in the dag image.
If one were to cover the right side of Abe's lips, he appears to frown. Cover the left side, he appears to smile. This is seen in most of his photos and in the dag image.
Abe's left eye would occasionally involuntarily "turn upward" or "lapse into a dull, vacant stare", as is documented by many sources. (This is also attributed to being kicked by a horse in the head). This is seen clearly in the dag image.
As described in the Kunhardt's book, Abe had a "characteristic tuft of hair protruding from behind his right ear". This is seen in the dag image.
Abe's hands have been described as large, sinewy, rough hewn. This is seen in the dag image.
Abe had a large scar on his left thumb resulting from a misplaced blow from an ax as a young man. There are no other photos of Abe to my knowledge that show this scar, but it is seen clearly in the dag image.
The manner in which Abe is clutching the cane is a subtle indication of his weakened right shoulder, arm and hand. The presence of the cane provides the perfect prop for this ailment. Otherwise, his right arm would be hanging limply to the side or placed awkwardly on his lap as it is in any of the photos that show his right side. Look at any of the full length photos that show him clutching a rolled up paper or something similar. Why did Leonard Volk ask Abe to hold a piece of whittled broomstick in his right hand when doing a casting of his hands?
Every single identifying mark, scar and characteristic that is known to be unique to either Abe or Mary is present in the dag image.
There is none, not a single solitary scar, mark or characteristic foreign to either Abe or Mary that is present in the dag image.
Mary is wearing a blue watered-silk gown with a white Point D'Alencon lace collar. How do I know it's Point D'Alencon? Because she's Mary Todd Lincoln, and as has been pointed out earlier, Mary was a "fashionista" ... meaning she wouldn't have been "caught dead" wearing anything other than Point D'Alencon lace.
Abe is clutching the gold-headed cane he carried to the inaugural ceremonies earlier that day. He is wearing one while holding the other of the white kid gloves he wore to the inaugural ball later that night.
The gold watch chain seen in the dag image is in possession of the Chicago History Museum.
Abe is freshly shaven for the first time since he started growing his beard in October 1860, as is documented and to be expected for an inauguration.
Referring once again to Lincoln - An Illustrated Biography, there is a photo of Lincoln taken in January or February (can't recall offhand) that shows a scraggly beard with pimples clearly visible in the sparse areas on his lower right cheek. Even the pimples can be seen under magnification of the actual daguerreotype and correspond to those seen in the Jan. or Feb. photograph.
It's the only known photograph of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln posed together, an original quarter plate daguerreotype taken the evening of March 4th, 1861. Period!