Ambrotype of Elisa Greenwell with handwritten note

Unidentified · early 1860s

A black-and-white photograph of Elisa Greenwell (a) accompanied by a handwritten paper note with identifying information (b). In the photograph, Greenwell is seated and faces the camera directly, with her right elbow propped on a table and both hands resting in her lap. Her hair is pinned up at the back of her head. She wears a light-colored dress with a large-scale plaid pattern, white lace collar and stock, and a dark-colored shawl draped over her shoulders. Her cheeks and lips are hand-tinted in a pinkish hue and a spot of gilt is placed over a pin worn at her center front neck. The ambrotype is housed in one half of a wooden case with a papier-mâché cover in a floral design and painted black. The glass plate is surrounded by a gold metal frame with an oval-shaped cut out. A metal hook for fastening the case to the missing lid is present on the right side of the case.