Who Were They?

 

This lovely young lady posed for her photograph at the studio of A. B. Post in Ottumwa, IA. Ottumwa is one of those words you just want to say over and over, right? Anyway, I like this photo because the girl’s hair is very interesting. I can’t quite decide if she has very short, curly hair, or if she has very curly hair that is pulled back from her face. However, I am leaning toward short curly hair just because it seems to really hug the shape of her head. She has numerous tiny pin curls across her forehead, which was quite a process to achieve. The short hair is appropriate for her age, which I am putting at around 14 or 15. The photo may have coincided with her “coming out” or possibly even her engagement. Things were just very different back in the 1880s! Note her pretty bar pin and fancy necklace. The lavaliere could have been a locket or even a watch.