Who Were They?

 

I found this CdV in an antique shop recently, and it was labeled “Girl, circa 1890s.” Having a bit of experience with photos and clothing from the 19th century, I knew this to be incorrect. And so, I bought it. First, the silhouette of the dress is a very classic 1860s style – dropped shoulder seams and hooped skirt. Second, the photograph was placed in an album or frame (you can see the outline of the oval opening) and the card was cut on the corners to facilitate this. Unfortunately my scanner chopped off the left 1/8″ of the card so you can’t see it on that side. We know that square corners were in use on CdVs until about the 1870s. Finally, there is no photographer information on the back. I’d date this to 1865-1869.