Union case, Sir Roger Coverly

A union case for holding early photographs. Quarter plate in size, the body of the case is made of compression moulded shellac (secretions of the lac beetle) with wood powder filler. It has an intricate, moulded scene depicting 'Sir Roger Coverly and the Gypsies' on both sides, a fictional baronet of Worcestershire devised by Joseph Addison and portrayed as the author of a number of articles published in The Spectator, a daily paper founded by Addison and Richard Steele in 1711. The case was manufactured by A.P. Critchlow & Co, c. 1853-1857. Internally the case has a purple coloured, velvet lined cushion on the left, providing protection to the original glass, no longer present, with two embedded brass hinges and two integrated spring clasps. Union cases were used to carry light-sensitive early photographs like ambrotypes or daguerreotypes to prevent them from fading and over 1000 different designs are known to exist.

stamped: "A.P. Critchlow & Co. Manufacturers of Daguerreotype Cases. A.P.C. & Co. Are the Original Inventors of the Composition for the Union Case, (so called), including all the various shades of color and fineness of texture peculiar to their manufacture and of the EMBRACING RIVETED HINGES, thus securing them from breaking out as do others that are inserted with or without a metal brace. Hinge Patented. Oct. 21, 1856 & April 21, 1857." (on paper in bottom half of case)

AIBDC : 009278