Carte-de-visite of an young boy holding a rifle in Napa, California

Unidentified · 1865-1888

A sepia tone carte-de-visite of a young boy with a crossbow/rifle and birdcages. Captured just outside of a wood-paneled home and four-paned glass window, a young boy poses for his photograph holding a long rifle-shaped object with a bow across the barrel end. He wears a large-brimmed hat, dark trousers, and a dark shirt with a sailor-style collar and a bright wrap at his neck. Above his head hand two metal birdcages. On the right of the photograph, the second birdcage is flanked by a very large and flowering rose bush. Behind the boy is a dark wooden bench or stand. The photograph is bordered by dark brown cardstock. On the reverse of the carte-de-visite are the graphite inscriptions “JENNINGS / Napa” along with several numerical inscriptions.