Patriotic Gutta Percha Case for a Daguerrotype of a Beautiful Girl | ||
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Posted 8 years ago
ho2cultcha
(5042 items)
I picked this up on ebay the other day. i was very surprised at how inexpensive it was, considering such a nice gutta percha case - w/ an American patriotic theme to it. i'd love any info i can get about this picture.
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I like the case ... actually, for many collectors these cases are more interesting than the images. I believe it is actually a thermoplastic case and that gutta percha is typically a misnomer. Scottvez should be able to add some information.
thanks rniederman! i didn't realize that. are some of them really gutta-percha?
This is really beautiful!!!
ho2cultcha,
I love this!! What type of material is that beautiful case made of?
I'm thinking Bois durci, google the term and see there:
http://fourtoes.co.uk/iblog/?p=4862
Beautiful case and dag!!!
Oops, I just read comment #2 in this link which says, as Rniederman, these case were made of a thermoplastic composed of shellac and saw dust!
thanks tassie, kyra, jscotto! Bois durci?! made w/ blood?! kind of gross...
Nice case!
Rob is correct these are actually thermplastic and not gutta percha. In the era of manufacture they were called thermoplastic and also "Union Cases" (because they were a "union" of several materials).
ebay is a good place to buy. Design, size and condition are all key to prices. Patriotic cases are very desirable as are the large sizes (whole and half plate).
Condition issues can really detract from desirability and value. Even slight edge chips will detract. Cracks at the corners, near the hinges and at the latch will really devalue a case.
The stains on the pillow probably kept away many bidders. It can be replaced with one from a wood case and would really upgrade the appearance.
scott
I thought to add a little more detail to this thread because thermoplastic union cases are very interesting and highly collectable. It is also believed that the term 'union' refers the joining or combining of materials used to make the thermoplastic compound. It is not meant to refer to the Civil War.
Miniature cases made of papier-mâché appeared as early as 1839. In early 1852, Samuel Peck began experimenting with plastic materials that would be suitable for deeply molded designs. It is believed that he figured out the material composition around May 1852. His compound was primarily gum shellac and wood fibers. (No blood.) Case dies were made of steel after efforts to use iron failed. It is also believed that Peck coined the term 'union'.
Peck's thermoplastic cases started appearing in 1853 and he eventually was granted a patent on October 3, 1854 (#11,758 - which notes that "Shellac constitutes the Base"). Other makers quickly jumped in and also started making cases.
In regards to "gutta-percha" ... that was a term referencing hard rubber which is not a thermoplastic. In reality, gutta-percha is a completely different material. There is a lot of speculation about why gutta-percha started being used as a descriptor for thermoplastic miniature cases but the facts behind this are not known.
Anyhow, your case is definitely thermoplastic and appears to have very few chips (which is good). Chips typically happen at the corners and around the hinges.
Thanks for adding, Scott. I was writing more info when you replied.
thanks so much rniederman and scott! lots of good info here. i'm glad there's no blood in the casing. now i don't have to worry about dog eating it! the case is perfect except for a slight crack and chip at the latch. the top and back are totally perfect.
No one mentioned the ice blue eyes contrasting with the dark hair of that lovely, lovely girl!
very observant of you Celiene! yes, this is a hand-colored dag, and she does have remarkable eyes!
she looks like she went to either Smith, Wellesley, Vassar, Mt Holyoke, or Mills!
cultcha-- forgot to mention that your image is not a daguerreotype. It is either a tintype or ambrotype. Hard to tell with your photos-- a tintype is on a sheet of iron and an ambro is on glass.
scott
you're right! it's a tintype behind glass!
Oh, she is DEFINITELY well-bred!
for sure Celiene!