{"product_id":"victorian-cased-photographs-sears-family-1845-1865","title":"American Cased Photographic Portrait Collection | Sears Family \u0026 Clarise Harrold Provenance | Set of Four | Circa 1845–1865 CE","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical Context \u0026amp; Origin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e United States, associated with New England and the American Midwest\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early photographic images, gilt-metal mats, protective glass, embossed photographic cases, textile linings, and accompanying handwritten family identification materials\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mid-19th Century, Victorian Era, circa 1845–1865 CE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA historically significant collection of four original mid-19th-century American cased photographic portraits associated with the Sears family and preserved within the estate of the late Joseph W. Haley of Pride's Crossing, Massachusetts. Dating to circa 1845–1865 CE, this collection represents the earliest generations of American portrait photography and is accompanied by surviving handwritten family identification materials connecting the photographs to several documented nineteenth-century individuals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection comprises four individually cased photographic portraits depicting three gentlemen and one woman, each housed within an ornate hinged protective case. The photographs display characteristics associated with early daguerreotype and ambrotype processes, although the individual photographic media have not been independently verified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first portrait depicts a seated Victorian woman wearing an elaborate light-coloured gown featuring a fitted bodice, decorative neckline, and voluminous sleeves. Although the photograph exhibits substantial age-related deterioration, the woman's silhouette, clothing, and formal studio presentation remain discernible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second portrait depicts a dark-haired gentleman wearing a formal black coat, white shirt, and dark necktie. His carefully arranged hairstyle and direct expression are characteristic of nineteenth-century professional portraiture. The image retains substantial clarity, particularly throughout the sitter's facial features and clothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third portrait features a younger gentleman wearing a dark tailored suit, waistcoat, white shirt, and decorative bow tie. His neatly arranged hair, composed expression, and formal attire reflect the fashionable appearance of American gentlemen during the middle decades of the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fourth portrait depicts a seated gentleman wearing a dark formal coat and waistcoat, with one arm resting upon a piece of studio furniture. The image is presented within an oval photographic opening and displays a strongly reflective surface, causing the sitter's appearance to vary considerably depending upon the viewing angle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach photograph is surrounded by a decorative gilt-metal mat and housed in an embossed case featuring floral, scrolling, or geometric designs. Several retain richly coloured reddish-pink textile interiors, while another features a dark interior lining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticularly noteworthy are the surviving handwritten identification materials accompanying the collection. One photographic case retains a label reading \"Paul Sears,\" while another bears a handwritten label identifying \"Henry Sears.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn additional handwritten family note provides an important historical connection to Clarissa Sears Bishop, her husband Ephraim Brown Bishop, and their descendants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe note appears to identify Clarissa Sears Bishop as the writer's grandmother and refers to her husband, E. B. Bishop, explaining that the writer's son Bishop was named in his honour. The inscription concludes with what appears to be the name Clarise Harrold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis information corresponds closely with documented historical records concerning Charlotte Clarise Sears Risley Harrold Ramsey (1867–1922), a descendant of Clarissa Sears Bishop, mother of Bishop Sears Harrold, and later owner of historic Westover Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn additional handwritten card accompanying the photographs appears to contain the inscriptions \"Mr. B. S. Harrold\" and \"Bon Voyage,\" providing a further possible association with the extended Harrold family. Its original purpose and relationship to the individual portraits remain undetermined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Collection of four original mid-19th-century American photographic portraits, circa 1845–1865 CE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Three male portraits and one female portrait in formal Victorian-era attire\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Four individual hinged protective photographic cases\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Decorative embossed exteriors featuring floral, scrolling, and geometric motifs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Gilt-metal photographic mats with varied viewing openings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Surviving reddish-pink and dark textile case interiors\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- One photographic case retains a handwritten identification label reading \"For Paul Sears\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Another case bears a handwritten identification label reading \"Henry Sears\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Accompanied by a handwritten genealogical note identifying Clarissa Sears Bishop and Ephraim Brown Bishop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Historical records identify Clarise Harrold as the mother of Bishop Sears Harrold\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Additional handwritten card associated with the Harrold family\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Historical association with the Sears family of New England and the American Midwest\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Extended family connections to historic Westover Plantation, Virginia\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Documented genealogical relationships supported by nineteenth-century correspondence\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Historical connections between the Sears, Prince, and Haley families\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Provenance from the estate of Joseph W. Haley, Pride's Crossing, Massachusetts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Offered together as a collection of four historical photographic portraits with accompanying identification materials\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCultural Significance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe introduction of photography during the nineteenth century fundamentally transformed the preservation of personal identity and family history. Before practical photographic processes became available, painted and drawn portraits were often expensive commissions, generally limiting their accessibility to individuals with sufficient financial resources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe introduction of the daguerreotype in 1839 revolutionized portraiture by allowing photographers to capture highly detailed likenesses directly from life. During the following decades, photographic studios became increasingly established throughout the United States, creating new opportunities for individuals and families to preserve personal portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDaguerreotypes were particularly valued for their remarkable photographic detail and unique reflective appearance. The subsequent introduction of ambrotype photography during the 1850s provided a more affordable alternative, allowing detailed portraits to be produced using glass photographic plates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth processes were commonly housed within ornate protective cases featuring gilt-metal surrounds, decorative textile linings, and embossed exterior coverings. These cases served both practical and decorative purposes, protecting fragile photographic materials while transforming the images into treasured family keepsakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe accompanying handwritten identification materials give this collection additional historical significance. Unlike many surviving nineteenth-century photographic portraits whose subjects remain unidentified, these photographs retain documentary associations with individuals connected to the Sears family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe preserved names and genealogical information offer insight into the ways American families documented relationships, preserved ancestral portraits, and passed personal historical records between generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four photographs survive in varying antique condition, displaying age-related wear and photographic deterioration consistent with their considerable age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe female portrait exhibits substantial deterioration, including extensive spotting, surface discolouration, and photographic losses, partially obscuring the sitter's facial features and clothing. The underlying figure remains discernible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two formal portraits of younger gentlemen retain comparatively good image clarity, with recognizable facial features, clothing, and studio compositions. Minor spotting, surface marks, photographic toning, and age-related imperfections are visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fourth portrait, depicting a seated gentleman within an oval photographic opening, displays a highly reflective surface that causes the image to appear faint or partially obscured under certain lighting conditions. When viewed at an appropriate angle, the sitter's facial features, clothing, and surrounding studio arrangement remain visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photographic cases display expected age-related wear, including rubbing, scratches, surface abrasions, minor losses to the exterior covering, edge deterioration, and areas of exposed underlying case construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe embossed floral and scrolling decorations remain substantially recognizable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reddish-pink textile interiors exhibit fading, surface marks, minor staining, and accumulated dust associated with prolonged storage. The dark-lined case displays comparable signs of age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gilt-metal photographic mats retain their decorative appearance, exhibiting minor discolouration, rubbing, and surface oxidation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe handwritten identification labels remain present, displaying age-related discolouration, fading, and surface wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe accompanying handwritten family note remains legible in substantial part, although several words are difficult to distinguish with certainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions (Approximate)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVarious sizes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge (Approximate)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e160–180 years old\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormerly part of the estate of the late Joseph W. Haley of Pride's Crossing, Massachusetts, United States, whose extensive collection included American and European antiques, fine and decorative arts, historical documents, early books, and objects reflecting a lifelong interest in history, travel, and collecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photographs formed part of a larger collection of nine historical photographs and daguerreotypes associated with members of the Sears family, including Henry Sears, Paul Sears, an individual described as Grandmother, and a woman catalogued as Clarret Sears Bishop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical Family Identification and Handwritten Documentation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection retains important handwritten identification materials that provide additional historical context for the original Sears family association.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne photographic case bears a handwritten label reading \"Paul Sears,\" while another retains an inscription reading \"Henry Sears.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese names correspond with documented sons of Dr. Nathan Sears (1791–1848), a Massachusetts-born physician who subsequently practised medicine in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis children included Paul Sears, Clarissa Sears Bishop, and Nathan Henry Sears.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn original family letter dated January 8, 1850, preserved in \u003cem\u003eThe Ranney Letters: Family Correspondence During the Yankee Migration\u003c\/em\u003e, independently identifies Paul Sears, Clarissa Sears Bishop, and Henry Sears as members of the same family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Sears was a physician practising in Mount Carmel, Illinois, while Clarissa was married to Ephraim Brown Bishop, a merchant associated with Arkansas. Henry Sears was attending school in Arkansas at the time of the correspondence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Clarise Harrold Family Note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA particularly significant item accompanying the photographs is a handwritten genealogical note identifying Clarissa Sears Bishop and her husband Ephraim Brown Bishop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inscription appears to describe Clarissa as the writer's grandmother and explains that the writer's son, Bishop, was named in honour of Ephraim Brown Bishop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe note concludes with what appears to be the handwritten name Clarise Harrold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis information corresponds with the documented family of Charlotte Clarise Sears Risley Harrold Ramsey (1867–1922).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarise was the daughter of Joseph Henry Risley and Mary Elizabeth Bishop, making her a granddaughter of Clarissa Sears Bishop and Ephraim Brown Bishop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarise married Elam Worthington Harrold (1839–1897), with whom she had three children: John Sears Harrold (1887–1955), Bishop Sears Harrold (1888–1954), and Elisabeth Sears Harrold (1893–1965).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe existence of Bishop Sears Harrold, together with Clarise's documented ancestry, closely corroborates the family relationships described in the handwritten note.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLearn More\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mid-19th-century American cased family portrait dating to circa 1851 is preserved in the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/art\/collection\/object\/104FET\" title=\"Group Portrait of an Unidentified Family, circa 1851 – J. Paul Getty Museum\"\u003eJ. Paul Getty Museum's photographic collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelated nineteenth-century historical keepsakes and decorative objects are featured in our \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/relicandrarity.com\/collections\/victorian-artifacts-historic-relics\" title=\"Victorian Artifacts \u0026amp; Historic Relics – Relic \u0026amp; Rarity\"\u003eVictorian Artifacts \u0026amp; Historic Relics Collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Relic \u0026 Rarity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67877101666626,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/1803\/2194\/files\/American-Cased-Photographic-Portrait-Collecti-9218.jpg?v=1794360277","url":"https:\/\/relicandrarity.com\/es\/products\/victorian-cased-photographs-sears-family-1845-1865","provider":"Relic \u0026 Rarity","version":"1.0","type":"link"}