Ambrotype of an unidentified young woman

Unidentified · ca. 1860

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. The photograph is backed with brown paper and is housed in a metal frame with a decorative floral and scrollwork border. The reverse of the housing is blank.