Portraits of Black women from the Civil War era remain scarce, essential records of African American life and self-presentation during a watershed period of American history.

Sixth plate studio portrait tintype. N.p., ca. early 1860s. Housed in a full leatherette case.

A dignified early 1860s studio portrait capturing an older African American woman seated before a cloud-mottled studio backdrop. Looking toward the lens with a calm, penetrating gaze, she wears her dark hair parted smoothly down the center and pulled back behind her ears. She is attired in an eye-catching, wide-sleeved vertically striped calico day dress, finished with a crisp, turned-down white collar and delicate white mitts covering her hands, which she holds gently clasped in her lap. Resting her right arm along an adjacent studio chair, the sitter's cheeks retain faint, subtle period hand-tinting. 

[Tintype, Ferrotype, Sixth Plate, African Americana, Black History, African American Woman, Black Woman, Striped Dress, Calico, White Gloves, White Collar, Mitts, Hand-Tinted, Civil War Era, Cased Image, 1860s Photography, Americana]

Very good condition. The tintype exhibits strong clarity, fine contrast, and crisp resolution. The plate itself is nearly flawless.