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George Washington Thermoplastic or Union Case

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 600.00 USD
George Washington Thermoplastic or Union Case
Washington Related
“George Washington” Thermoplastic or ‘Union Case” With an Ambrotype of a Young Girl and a Lock of Her Hair
c. 1854 California Gold Rush & Pre Civil War Era, George Washington Portrait, Thermoplastic or “Union Case” (Non Civil War), With Ambrotype Photograph, Handwritten Note Dated 1849 and Lock of Her Hair Fashioned into a Ring, Krainik 103. Choice Extremely Fine.
This original, very rare and simply gorgeous, George Washington Portrait Thermoplastic Case measures 4” x 3.75”, and is listed in the reference as Krainik 103. The designs main feature shows a central classic Bust of George Washington facing right, surrounded by a highly decorative scroll work surround. The back of the case has this identical, matching design. This impressive case also contains an original Ambrotype Photograph of a Young Girl holding her Doll on her lap while seated, and has a wonderful, highly unusual authentic Lock of Her Hair having been fashioned into a Ring, plus further identified by an accompanying California Gold Rush period handwritten Note, which is dated “June 1849”!

The short note reads, in full: “A ring of any Friend Theresas’s hair made & given to me by Miss Nuwlrow - June 1849.”
Starting with the term “Union Case,” unlike many people believe, the name has nothing to do with the American Civil War and the battle between the Union and Confederate States.

The term “Union” was coined in 1854 by Samuel Peck, who was a daguerreotypist in the United States, and who invented the process of making the early plastic cases used for protecting and housing the daguerreotype image which is very prone to any type of scratch or abrasion.

The Term "Union" refers to the material construction of the cases, and is derived from the "union" of the cases components; shellac, sawdust, other chemicals and dye for coloring the cases, which was usually black or brown. When these components were mixed together, heated and pressed into a mold, the parts of a Union Case are formed and because of the way they were made, the parts of the cases could take on fine, and in some cases, elaborate details which most Union cases display.

This composition material, was and is still called Thermoplastic, and is actually one of the earliest forms of plastic. Before the Thermoplastic Union Case was invented, Daguerreotype or Ambrotype cases were usually made from wood and covered with very thin leather. Sometimes they were even made from other material and covered with mother of pearl and silver wire inlay.