Rare Daguerreotype Wife of Senator William Pitt Fessenden

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Original daguerreotype (6th plate) of Ellen Maria Deering Fessenden (1809-1857), taken circa 1856-1857, not very long before her death. Ellen was the wife of Presidential Cabinet S ecretary, Senator, and Congressman William Pitt Fessenden. After waking up one morning she began complaining to her husband that she felt fatigued and died moments later. In this photo she appears she might have something pinned to her collar.. a black feather or piece of cloth? It might also be part of her bow... but, if it's a memorial item, she might have possibly been wearing it for her mother, Almira Deering, who died in 1855. Dag is in a full, very nice leather case and is in very good or better antique condition. It has been resealed with archival tape at some point. I think it looks nicer in person than in my cell phone pictures. 7963 Show more