Daguerreotype of Achsa Maynard Johnson

This daguerreotype of Achsa Maynard Johnson (b. 1791, d. 1882), age 60, is found along with a second daguerreotype featuring her husband Orange Johnson in a small monogramed leather bound case with the date 1851 embossed on the cover.

Achsa Johnson came to Worthington with the her father Moses Maynard and siblings from the area of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1806. In 1815 Achsa married Orange Johnson (b. February 7, 1790 - d. November 28, 1876), a comb maker by trade from Connecticut. The comb business was very successful, and Achsa and Orange moved into their home at 956 High Street in 1816. They had three children, but only one, Mary, survived into adulthood.In 1847 Mary married Francis Sessions and removed to Columbus. The Johnson moved to their daughter's home in 1863.

According to the Library of Congress, a daguerreotype is an image on "a plate of copper, lightly coated with silver. After cleaning and polishing the plate, exposure to iodine vapors created a light-sensitive surface that looked like a mirror. The plate, held in a light proof holder, was then transferred to the camera and exposed to light. The plate was developed over hot mercury until an image appeared. To fix the image, the plate was immersed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate or salt and then toned with gold chloride."