Daguerreotype of an Older Woman from 1855
This image shows an older woman wearing a light colored bonnet with lacy ties hanging down loose. The hair is center parted, of course, with side bulges typical of the early 1850s. Her dress is dark with epaulets on the sleeves and she wears a shiny silk shawl thrown around her shoulders. We can see many pleats where the skirt meets the bodice, but many other details are obscured by the shawl.
The dress has a broad white lace collar, and she is also wearing a thin neck ribbon. There is a dark broach at her throat, probably of inlaid jet. Very light tinting has been added to give her face a more natural color. No doubt she thought the daguerreotype drew her many wrinkles in a bit too sharp of detail.
The daguerreotype is cased, and has a fairly plain mat, with just a light embossed line around the opening, which is rectangular with rounded corners. The preserver is a lighter colored brass, and of a simple repetitive leaf and flower pattern.
