Jenny Lind

The American concert tour (1850–52) of “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind spawned a huge market for merchandise associated with the celebrated singer. Among the most popular items were inexpensive portrait prints that could be framed and displayed in the homes of her many admirers. This lithograph reproduces a daguerreotype likeness of Lind created by the Root brothers—a portrait that also circulated in the form of copy daguerreotypes, such as the one included in this exhibition. Because daguerreotypes were prized for their accuracy, prints based on daguerreian images were thought by the public to be superior to other representations.