Figure 1.--This cased Daguerreotype of a boy measuring approximately 3"x 2-1/2 inches. It has an ornate leather coiver and brass frame. The unidentified boy looks to be about 5 years old. He has a top curl. His cut-away jacket is closed at the top with three tabs. Like most Dags, this portrait is undated. We would guess it was taken in the 1840s, but are not at all sure.

We are not yet sure if American boys wore cut-away jackets in the 1840s and if so to what extent. We see numerous Daguerreotypr portraits of boys wearing cut-away jackets. Dags were the primary photographic portrait format during the 1840s. The problem is that they were also taken during the 1850s and even early-60s. And unfortunately very few Dags are actually dated. We believe that the cut-away jacket was worn in the 1840s, it may have even appeared at this time. It must have been a European import. The relative limited number of cut away jackets found in Daguerrotupes suggests that the cut-away jacket was just beginning to become a major style in the 1840s. This however needs to be confirmed. We do not yet have any datedpaintings showing cut-away jackets in the 1840s. This is something we are still working on.

Created: 5:04 AM 4/30/2018
Last updated: 5:04 AM 4/30/2018