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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;LaneAcadia, post: 377979, member: 7915&quot;]If this photo is what I think it is, then my husband wins the prize for flea market finds. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/wink.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=";)" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>A few years ago for Valentine’s Day, he gave me this lovely little 1/6-plate ambrotype. I already thought it was a gorgeous ambro, in nearly pristine condition. (Apologies for the poor quality of my photos; for someone who’s so interested in other people’s pictures, I have a shocking lack of good photography equipment of my own.)</p><p><br /></p><p>It’s in a geometric leather case that shows moderate wear, but the latch still works perfectly. Other than a few specks of lint under the glass, the image itself is basically flawless. The hand-tinting on the boy’s cheeks, his hands, and the table cover behind him is subtle and masterful. I was still marveling over what a beautiful ambro it was for the price and location when my then-8yo daughter said, “Hey, look, there’s a name on the case.” And there was—a faint, moderately worn “MB Brady” in tiny letters. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now I know Brady started out as a casemaker, and I know that even photos from his studio weren’t necessarily taken by the man himself. It’s also not in a Brady flip case or matted in a Brady patent mat that would likely make it more desirable to collectors. On the other hand, neither is the 1860 “Cooper Union” portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Although the leather case and mat binding were very slightly different for my ambro, the mat itself is identical to the one on the “Cooper Union” portrait of Abraham Lincoln. (I believe the same mat was even used for Brady’s portrait of Frederick Douglass, but I’m less positive about that.) </p><p><br /></p><p>So what do you experts think? Is it an authentic Brady portrait? I lean toward yes, based on context clues, and I think the quality is such that it’s worth far more than my husband paid for it regardless. But I don’t want to be a victim of my own wishful thinking. [ATTACH=full]130333[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]130334[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]130335[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]130336[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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