This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
The full description can be found below the video
In a world of advancing technology, it seems fitting that images produced from one of the first photographic processes ever used are still revered for their quality and aesthetics. In fact, early images of renowned personalities are finding tremendous favor among collectors. This was evidenced in 2011 when an image of Billy the Kid, dated 1879-1880, sold at auction for $2.3 million.
Goldin Auctions is proud to offer one of the earliest known photographs of one of the great business titans who helped shape America into what it is today. As collectors continue to elevate the photographic art form as a medium of major historic and cultural significance, the importance of this splendid daguerreotype of oil magnate and legendary philanthropist John D. Rockefeller cannot be overstated.
The daguerreotype process, introduced by Louis Daguerre in 1839 was the first publicly announced photographic process and for nearly 20 years was the most common. It consisted of a polished sheet of silver-plated copper, which was treated with fumes to make it light-sensitive. It was then exposed in a camera to make the resulting latent image on it visible by fuming it with mercury vapor. The light sensitivity was then removed by a chemical treatment, rinsed, dried and sealed behind a protective glass enclosure. The resulting image displayed a mirror-like silver surface.
An exhaustive analysis of this daguerreotype image was done with both 2-D and 3-D modeling to identify the subject as John D. Rockefeller. The analysis compared this image to several other known Rockefeller images and took into account a normalizing of the face, the size and location of the facial features, lines and marks in the face itself, hairlines and changes that might come with age. The video analysis and written detail of the facial recognition analysis is available on the Goldin Auctions website.
To date the daguerreotype, Paper and Photograph Conservator Gary E. Albright states, “the mark on this plate matches plate #29 from Appendix 1 in The American Daguerreotype by Floyd and Marion Rinhart.” Of this plate they state, “Unknown French platemaker, ca. 1850-1858; peak years, 1854-1856. Probably the second most widely used French plate.” Along with his assessment of the plate itself, Mr. Albright’s analysis of the case, brass preserver and the pad associated with this image also date the image to the early to mid-1850s. Though the daguerreotype and associated case are likely over 160 years old, the plate and case are both in very good condition. There are no major scratches and the plate is sharp, having good contrast. Mr. Albright’s condition report is also included in this offering.
Based on the dating from Mr. Albright, this would place Rockefeller in his early to mid teenage years. In 1851, Rockefeller’s family moved to Owego, New York where he attended Owego Academy. Two years later the moved to Strongsville, OH -- a suburb of Cleveland, where he attended Cleveland's Central High School. After high school, Rockefeller took a ten-week business course at Folsom's Commercial College studying bookkeeping. And then, in September of 1855, at the age of 16, he began his first job as an assistant bookkeeper for Hewitt & Tuttle, a small produce commission firm.
Whereas this image depicts a well-dressed Rockefeller with a book in his hand, it is quite reasonable to assume that this daguerreotype was taken to correspond with one of these important events, quite possibly his enrollment into a new school, his high school graduation, the completion of college or his first job.
Rockefeller would go on to co-found the Standard Oil Company that, by the end of the 1870s, was refining over 90% of the oil in the U.S. With the growing importance of kerosene and gasoline at that time in U.S. history, his wealth soared, making him the richest man in America the country’s first billionaire. In fact, adjusting for inflation, his fortune upon his death in 1937 was estimated to be at $336 billion, accounting for over 1% of the national economy. The Standard Oil Company had become so large that, in 1911, the Supreme Court of the United States found them in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The court ruled the company’s trust originated in illegal monopoly practices and ordered it to be broken up into 34 new companies. This led to the creation of companies that are now part of modern day ConocoPhillips, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and others.
Once retired from the daily operations of running one of the world’s largest businesses, in 1895, he became one of America’s greatest philanthropists until his death in 1937 at the age of 97. Along with giving millions to churches and charities, at age seventy-three Rockefeller created the Rockefeller Foundation with a personal endowment of $100 million, the equivalent of around $30 billion today. His philanthropic efforts would advance public health around the world for decades and it is estimated Rockefeller gave away over $530 million in all, the modern equivalent of over $100 billion.
It is a very rare opportunity to acquire an item this intimate to one of the greatest businessmen and philanthropists America has ever known and Goldin Auctions is honored to offer such an important piece of history relating to the man who played a key role in making America the industrial admiration of all the world.
Daguerreotype Condition and Dating Analysis – Paper and Photograph Conservator Gary Albright
Facial Recognition Analysis - Bob Schmitt, Founder of Biometrica Systems, Inc.
Dimensions of the case when closed: 3 1/16" x 3 9/16 " Distance to outside edges of gold frame holding the photo in place: 2 5/8" x 3 1/16" Distance to inside edges of gold frame holding the photo in place: 2 1/2" x 2 15/16" Depth of the case when open: 1/4 " Depth of case when closed: 9/16"
Note: The Rockefeller daguerreotype, as well as the facial recognition analysis and condition and dating report, are available for inspection upon request at Goldin Auctions’ headquarters in West Berlin, New Jersey throughout the auction, and are available online at goldinauctions.com Further, due to the historic nature of this offering and Goldin’s confidence in the analyses, if the winning bidder is not able to view the item in person during the auction, there will also be a 30-day period after the auction closes where the winning bidder may arrange to inspect the item and accompanying reports at Goldin Auctions’ headquarters under Goldin’s supervision prior to final purchase of the item if desired.
The video above has been produced by Bob Schmitt, the co-founder of Biometrica, Inc., which provides biometric facial identification security to casinos. All individuals who enter a Biometric-covered casino are unobtrusively photographed, and compared to a large database of persons who, for different reasons, are not welcome patrons. He is one of the pioneers and leaders of the biometric industry.