An eBay lot consisting of two quarter plate daguerreotypes features a young man holding a bottle of Ware's Lotion
. According to the seller, there is lots of text on the bottle, but only "Ware's Lotion" is legible (laterally reversed, because the daguerreotypist didn't use a reversing prism.)
"One assumes readily that he is the entrepreneur who has manufactured this lotion," says the seller, "and thus the proprietor of the business. He wears a blue knotted tie, and the tablecloth is red and blue."
The daguerreotype appears to be late 1840s vintage, the seller continues. The full original case is handsome with a rich velvet pad inside. The other depicts a smiling young woman with an exceedingly pleasant demeanor. She dangles a purse from her wrist in a delightfully casual manner. She wear hoop earrings, a fancy bracelet, and a simple ring on her index finger. The tablecloth is blue with hints of red. The purse has also been hand-colored, albeit masterfully. The woman is identified inside the case as "SUSAN L. WARE" and a date of "184?" is given.
Says the seller, "This case is absolutely an 1840s case and putting both daguerreotypes and respective housing in perspective, I conclude that this is late 1840s presentation. The other writing inside the case alludes to the fact that the daguerreotype was taken out and cleaned back in the 1880s. CONDITION. Ordinarily I'd say 'original seals' but now we know that these seals date to the 1880s. One tiny green spot at the edge of the top of the chair. Light mat abrasions. The glass is a bit foggy, so this one will really pop with new glass. APPEARANCE. Lovely composition. Sharp image with good contrast."
According to the listing, under 'MEDICINES' in the 1850 Boston Directory is the following listing: "WARE'S LOTION, 95 & 97 Cambridge." There is a Cambridge Street in Boston (as well as a Cambridge Street in Cambridge.) The seller also checked an 1856 Boston Directory under 'MEDICINES' and found "WARE'S LOTION, 41 Cambridge."
