McClees & Germon
[Two Boys, One Holding a Book]

ArtistAmerican, active 1846–1855
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • [Two Boys, One Holding a Book]
Date1851–1853
MediumDaguerreotype in leather case
DimensionsImage: 4 13/16 × 3 5/8 in. (12.3 × 9.2 cm)
Case: 6 7/8 × 5 3/4 × 9/16 in. (17.5 × 14.6 × 1.5 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Krista and Michael Dumas in honor of their son, B. Forbes Dumas
Object number2020.355
Non exposé

Explore Further

Department
Photography
Object Type
Description


In this daguerreotype, two brothers pose together in a manner that is instantly recognizable to any younger sibling, no matter what century. The eldest brother, dressed in a fine coat and vest, stands to the left of a small table, his hand resting on the spine of a book. Meanwhile, partially outside of the frame, the more simply younger brother uncomfortably leans in on the right, as though his inclusion in the image was an afterthought. This charming double portrait was created by prominent Philadelphia-based daguerreotypists James McClees and Washington Germon, whose partnership lasted from 1846 to 1855.



Provenance[eBay]; [purchased by Silver Shadows, Huddersfield, England]; purchased by MFAH, 2020.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Printed in gold on applied label, overmat recto, bottom center: McClees & Germon, cor. Chestnut and 8th Sts. Ph. [illegible]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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