The "Molly and Mark" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just returned from the Chesapeake Bay area where we went shopping and had lunch in Chestertown, MD. This is a small town which is located on the Chester River. On our way home we stopped at The Mistletoe Antique Shop which is located on Rt. 213. It carries a variety of Christmas ornaments as well as general antiques. At the check out counter is a display case where they keep smaller memorabilia. I was looking in the case and discovered a few Daguerreotypes which are positive images photos made on a thin copper plate which is highly polished. It is housed in a small hinged case made of wood and covered in leather or paper. They were popular from the early 1840s to the 1860s. I questioned the owner and she told me they were found in a box in her grandparents attic. She was offering them for sale for a very reasonable price. I knew the price was a bargain that since I collect Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes and Tintypes. Ambrotypes and Tintypes are positive images in silver. The ambrotype is done on glass and was popular from about 1855 to 1865 while the tintype was done on a thin sheet of lacquered iron. You may have a few of these around the house since they appeared in the late 1850s and were made well into the 20th century. Well, I purchased the three she had for sale and examined them the best I could at the store. After I got home I made a unique discovery. I took one of the cases and gently pried apart the parts of the case. The female image on the copper plate came out of the velvet lined case to reveal a lock of hair and a hand written letter. On the inside of the case itself was another note. The message inside the case read: Molly left Sept. 13th, 1859 to return the following summer, a long long time to be absent from thee. I assume the image was of Molly. The note, hidden behind the copper plate with the lock of hair, carrying the same date read: Molly left today, and it was with difficulty that I checked the tears that gathered in my eyes. I love her with an untiring love. Absence they tell me conquers love but its not applicable in my case. To love her is second nature. I will love her. She is worthy of the holiest and purest devotion. She is a noble and kind hearted girl. The truest and warmest of friends. To see her is to love her and respect her. What more girl and friend could any desire. Mark. WOW!!! He is really smitten! Fantastic handwriting (they used to teach this in school you know). And he got all that on a piece of paper 1 3/4” by 2 1/4”. I needed a really good magnifier to see it, and he was able to write that small. This case and Daguerreotype is my most unique find, but my most valuable Daguerreotype is an image of a Civil War officer which has the buttons painted on the copper in gold. This was a gift from one of my wife’s friends who knew I collected them. Come to think of it, my favorite still has to be the photo of Molly and the letters from Mark. I NEVER wrote a love letter like that! Actually, I never wrote a love letter! Boo!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - click on the photo to see in larger detail.