I have recently acquired a daguerrotype stereoview of Scottish provenance. It shows three men round a table on which is an early Brewster stereoscope, a Dubosq & Soleil black and white litho view and possibly a daguerrotype stereo, plus some small tools which could be burnishing tools of the gilding trade.

The similarity between the central figure and GW Wilson’s self portraits, prior to the beard, caught my eye. I was delighted to find that the older figure is a reasonable match to John Hay senior (gilder and framer) in Wilson’s composite view of famous Aberdonians (a portrait taken a decade later and after Hay’s bankruptcy). Interestingly, in the composite picture he is the only one with his hand to his face exactly like in the daguerrotype.

The third person in such a group would have to be John Hay junior, Wilson’s partner in 1853-54. Unfortunately I have so far been unable to unearth any likenesses of John Hay junior to complete the set and confirm my identification of the trio.