Daguerreotype “ghost” And Gutta Percha Frame

Daguerreotype of an elegant young woman in a pretty frame with floral decoration in gutta percha, covered with glass and surrounded by a pretty golden mat.
The human silhouette taken in the photo stands out in the raking light.
The sunshine of these many decades may have softened the silver plaque; Today only an “aura” of the photographed woman remains, like a ghost.
Period: Second half of the 19th century.
Dimensions: Frame: 19 x 22 cm Visible plate, central oval: 7 x 9.5 cm

Gutta percha is a gum which comes from natural latex obtained from the plant sap of Palaquium gutta (a species close to shea). Material widely used in the ornamentation of frames and decorative objects during the 19th century, but also in the manufacture of golf balls, gramophone records, armory (revolver stocks), or as electrical insulator.