Two daguerreotypes, an 1850s 1/4 plate by Anson, New York, of James Bowne Parsons Sr. (1809 - 1894), and a large, beautiful, mid-1840s half-plate of a woman, boy and girl identified as his children, possibly taken by the pioneering NYC photographer John Plumbe.
Emily was born in 1836 and died in 1891. I believe the boy seen here was is actually John Bowne Parsons and not James. John was born in 1838 and died in 1845, so very close to the time this dag was made.
Both daguerreotypes are in very good antique condition, both are unsealed in their full cases. When closed, the larger case measures about 7" x 6"!
Parsons was a very successful New York City merchant.