"This photograph is of Eleanor Dearborn's grandmother and mother as a child." The child's dress and part of the mother's dress that can be seen help to date this ambrotype to the 1860s. In the photo, the girl sits on her mother's lap wearing…
The case enclosing this daguerreotype is covered in plum-colored velvet with the words “The Token” stamped on the spine in gold letters. The new medium of photography meshed with the sentimentality of the early Victorian period. The photograph itself…
This little girl, with a serious scowl on her face, wears a dress and hairstyle fashionable during the late 1850s. The wide neckline, with a necklace adornment, was a common feature for dresses worn by both girls and boys. The hair parted in the…
The sitter portrays typical styles of the 1850s, which include fitted bodices, set-in sleeves, dropped shoulder seams, and natural waistlines. These are the same features seen in fashion plates of the early 1850s, specifically the open sleeves known…
This young woman decided to have her portrait taken while in her street attire of bonnet, fur-trimmed pelisse, and leather gloves. Her bonnet rests on the back of the head, the brim widening out to frame her face with flowers of different sizes…
The sitter wears a typical bodice of the 1850s. The V shaped bretelles extend beyond the natural shoulder line, ending in a point at the narrow waist. The sleeves are the fashionable pagoda style, worn with wide undersleeves. Presumably the skirt is…
The gentleman in this daguerreotype wears a fitted black three-piece suit. His frock coat and waist coat are visible as is his shirt and cravat. The shirt collar is high, touching his cheeks. The cravat may be a resist or discharged material, in…
This full-length photograph illustrates a walking dress with a skirt supported by a cage crinoline and a fitted basque bodice with an open sleeve. The outfit is accessorized with white undersleeves, leather gloves, a bonnet, and a narrow paisley…
This studio portrait of a young woman illustrates popular accessories of the early 1870s. She wears long dangling earrings, a black velvet ribbon around her neck with a charm, bracelets, a brooch, and a straw boater hat. Her hair is curled and pulled…
The sitter wears a full skirt with a small bustle effect, helping to date this photograph to the end of the 1860s or the beginning of the 1870s. The high neckline with its separate collar and brooch had been in use since the 1850s, but the fullness…