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This lantern-like object contains a silver-coated copper Daguerreotype plate. When activated by a spirit summoner, an image of the spirit being summoned would appear in a sharp (but elusively ghostlike) apparition on the mirrored surface of the plate. A new plate would be inserted into the summoner each time it was employed.

Daguerreotype spirit summoner
French, 1843
Accession No. 2014-5-fr
Daguerreotype spirit summoner
French, 1843
Accession No. 2014-5-fr
11” x 5.25” x 5.25”