Carte-de-visite of a woman with birdcages in Napa, California

Unidentified · 1865-1888

A carte-de-visite of a woman flanked by birdcages. Captured just on the porch of a wood-paneled home, a woman stands gazing directly at the camera. She wears small hoop earrings, dark hat, bright long-sleeve dress with ruffles at the hemline, and a dark sash/tie at her waist and neck, respectively. She holds a small pair of shears in her proper right hand and a stem of roses in her proper left hand. A large rose bush is next to her along the right side of the image, with one branch reaching out across her middle so that several rose blooms appear on her chest against the light dress. At the bottom right corner a figure wearing a dark jacket is seated on the step below the woman, all but the proper right ear and shoulder absent from the camera’s frame. The photograph is bordered by dark brown cardstock. On the reverse of the carte-de-visite are graphite inscriptions “JENNINGS / Napa” along with several numerical inscriptions.