The same sitter as in 1990-5037_A.14

Statue of 'Dorothea' by John Bell exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London of 1851. Displayed among foliage with other exhibits visible behind the plants. Made from Parian ware. Subject matter originates from Miguel de Cervante's novel Don Quixote, part 1: 'They espied a youth dressed like a peasant stooping to bath his lovely feet in the rivulet… the lovely maiden looked up…'. This was the most successful of Bell's works.

Possibly the largest surviving, vintage daguerreotype plate in the world. Either a daguerreotype that has been rephotographed or possibly a daguerreotype print from a large negative. 'In March 1849, J.J.E. Mayall exhibited what he asserted were "the largest daguerreotype portraits ever taken in England". During this period, there were rival claims by other photographers that they had also made giant daguerreotypes. Mayall quickly placed an advertisement in 'The Times' re-iterating his declaration that he had produced "the largest daguerreotype portraits" and added drily, "As no other pictures have been taken in any degree approaching these in size, all recent advertised pretensions can only be intended to mislead the public." In 'The Times' newspaper of 1st July 1850, Mayall claimed that he could "take portraits from 30 inches in length down to the microscopic size." source http://spartacus-educational.com/DSmayall.htm The sitter bears a close resemblance to the self-portrait of Mayall shown on http://spartacus-educational.com/DSmayall.htm and it seems likely that this is another self-portrait taken seven years later.

W G Helsby (snr) born Buenos Ayres Argentina 1828, was a photographer in Valaparaiso Chile for many years. This royal portrait may have been taken in South America.

Head and shoulders portrait of a woman. She wears a decorative lace cap with flowers (roses, coloured) framing the face. Her dark hair is in ringlets. She wears a dark dress, with a white lace collar and a broad ribbon (pink) that is held at the front of the neck with a brooch (gold highlights). The back of the wood chair is visible.