Ambrotype of an unidentified young woman

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This black-and-white photograph is a three-quarter-length portrait of an unidentified young woman seated with her left elbow resting on a table. The woman wears a striped dress with dropped shoulders and bell sleeves that have a decorative ruffle along the outside seam and around the cuffs. She has on a dark-colored straw hat with a flat crown and round, flat brim with a striped hatband. A black net veil with floral decorative lace is attached to the hat and placed behind the woman's face. A wide, dark-colored ribbon is tied in a bow around the woman's neck with the ends extending below her waist. It is unclear if the ribbon is attached to the hat or is a decorative neck accessory. The woman's cheeks are hand-tinted pink and her earrings, a ring on her right hand, and the chatelaine at her waist are gilded gold.

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗