Brady opened a case shop in 1843 in New York City and continued in this work until about 1845. The case in our collection has a lyre design and Brady's signature mark and is for a single image sixth-plate daguerreotype. Brady's interest in photography grew through his business dealings with photographers, and by 1844 Brady opened a daguerreotype gallery near his case shop and his well-known career as a photographer began. One final treasure I want to mention is a daguerreotype the library recently purchased with Society funds. This is a particularly important addition to the collection because it is the only known work by Wellman.
Research needs to be done yet to try to determine the identity of the individuals.
Look for a full description in the 1998 program.