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At Ease: A Private Joke

At Ease: A Private Joke

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A PRIVATE JOKE

Ninth-plate daguerreotype by an unidentified photographer, circa 1850

The furrowed brow of the man on the left and his friend’s devilish smirk suggest someone is getting the better end of the deal represented by their handshake. While the exact meaning of this vignette is lost in the mists of time, what remains is an amusing and intriguing picture of two friends sharing a private joke.

 

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