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My Likeness Taken Daguerreian Portraits in America, 1840-1860 2005, 304 pp
courtesy of our partner, Atlas Books |
During the nineteenth century—a time of great technical
and cultural change—fashion was a cultivating force in the development
of American society, influenced by one’s social status, geographic
location, and economic standing.
My Likeness Taken is a collection of daguerreotype portraits of men, women, and children taken between 1840 and 1860. Selected from the top collections in the United States, each image is analyzed to clarify datable clothing and fashion components. With subjects from among the best-dressed members of society, these portraits—reproduced in full color—reflect the latest fashion developments, trends, and influences.
For students of photographic and costume history, this is extraordinary material. Many of these images have never before been published, and Severa’s keen analysis adds immeasurably to our understanding of the importance of dress in American society. Photo archivists and collectors, costume curators, social historians, material culturalists, and theater designers will find My Likeness Taken an invaluable resource.
Joan Severa is retired from her
position as curator of costume
at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Her book Dressed
for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840–1900 (Kent State University Press,
1995) received the prestigious Davenport Award from the Costume Society of
America and several other respected awards.
