A extremely rare 1847 Daguerreotype of Giuseppe Mazzini (180...

Hammer

£2,500

A extremely rare 1847 Daguerreotype of Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) taken by Antoine Claudet (1797-1867), depicting Mazzini posed with his head in his hand whilst leaning on a book upon a table beside him, gazing at the viewer, a note pinned to velvet lining of case reads 'Daguerreotype of Mazzini taken by Claudet in 1847 ("Mazzini's letters to an English family" Vol 1. p.60)', photo 7 x 6cm, case 9.5 x 8.5cm. 
Provenance:
Giuseppe Mazzini was an Italian politician, journalist, and activist for the unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and spearhead of the Italian revolutionary movement. His efforts helped bring about the independent and unified Italy in place of the several separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed until the 19th century. 

The photographer of this portrait, Antoine Claudet, became one of England's first commercial photographers using the daguerreotype process for portraiture, improving the sensitising process by using chlorine (instead of bromine) in addition to iodine, thus gaining greater rapidity of action. In addition to this, he also invented the red darkroom safelight, and photographed significant figures such as Michael Faraday and Charles Babbage. His daguerreotype of Hemi Pomara, in the National Library of Australia, is the oldest known photograph of any Māori person.

This item belongs to the Estate of the late William Lloyd George, 3rd Viscount Tenby (1927-2023), the grandson of David Lloyd George, 1st Earl of Dwyfor (1863-1945) the British Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922 during WWI, who was known to be influenced by Giuseppe Mazzini.