14401 Niagara Falls Full Plate Ambrotype by Babbitt.
Product Description
Seven handsomely attired figures including a young girl are posed at Niagara Falls in this wonderful full plate ambrotype. 5 1/8 in. x 7 1/4 in. sight. The image is in beautiful condition. There are a few dark spots on the brass liner. The case has very little wear; but the front and back halves have separated. A wonderful and highly desirable outdoor image. ca. 1850’s - 60’s. Attributed to Platt D. Babbitt, active 1853-70.
Platt was a daguerreotypist who controlled the lucrative pavilion area in front of Point View, later Prospect Point, on the American side of Niagara Falls. He was renowned for his tenacious hold on this prime viewpoint. When confronted by a formidable contender, "Mr. Babbitt and his forces would stand between the camera and the falls swinging large-sized umbrellas to and fro thus preventing [the other photographer] from getting a picture," wrote an observer. He ran a lucrative business selling his daguerreotypes and ambrotypes from his vantage point for nearly two decades.
Platt was a daguerreotypist who controlled the lucrative pavilion area in front of Point View, later Prospect Point, on the American side of Niagara Falls. He was renowned for his tenacious hold on this prime viewpoint. When confronted by a formidable contender, "Mr. Babbitt and his forces would stand between the camera and the falls swinging large-sized umbrellas to and fro thus preventing [the other photographer] from getting a picture," wrote an observer. He ran a lucrative business selling his daguerreotypes and ambrotypes from his vantage point for nearly two decades.
