Photograph of a Little Boy with Curls

This photograph was taken in the studio of I. Forman of Fairmount, West Virginia. Forman began his photography business in 1864 after doing farm work and millwork. The boy pictured has already started wearing breeches, or short trousers, a rite of passage that happened around five years of age. He still has his long curls, however. He also wears leather boots typical of those worn by children at this time.

Carte de visite, ca. 1864