In 2014, explorers recovered a remarkably well-preserved daguerreotype of an unidentified woman from the wreck of the SS Central America, a ship that sank in 1857 off the coast of South Carolina during a Category 2 hurricane.The ship, which carried over 30,000 pounds of gold from California miners, was part of a critical financial transfer during the Panic of 1857.

While the majority of photographs found in the wreck were degraded, this particular daguerreotype, nicknamed the 'Mona Lisa of the Deep' for the woman's enigmatic smile, remained intact due to the cold, dark, and oxygen-poor conditions of the deep ocean and the metal-based composition of daguerreotypes.Historians suggest she may have been a relative of one of the miners, highlighting a personal connection amid the lost riches.The portrait sold at auction in March 2023 for $73,800.

The wreck of the SS Central America was first located in 1988 at a depth of 7,200 feet, making the recovery of such delicate artifacts a significant achievement in maritime archaeology.

The disaster claimed 425 of the 578 passengers and contributed to a major financial crisis in the United States, marking it as one of the most notable maritime tragedies in American history.