Maid of Custer. Full-length studio portrait. Albumen carte de visite (CDV). N.p.: N.p., ca. 1870s–1880s. Verso inscribed in pencil at the upper edge: "MAID OF CUSTER" and along the lower edge: "Foster Family / West".

A full-length studio portrait of a young woman resting one hand on a pedestal table covered with a patterned damask drape. She is dressed in an elaborate theatrical or composite ensemble featuring a multi-tiered, patterned dress with floral and geometric borders, white tights, and beaded slippers/moccasins. She wears multiple strands of dark glass bead necklaces cascading across her bodice, and her hair is adorned with a prominent upright white feather ornament.

While the pencil inscription suggests a potential connection to the frontier legends surrounding George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry, the attire and presentation strongly reflect either late-19th-century frontier show costuming, theatrical production, or an agency-era studio portrait blending Anglo and Indigenous aesthetics. Regardless, this image remains a mystery with intriguing potential. 

[Native American, George Armstrong Custer, Maid of Custer, 7th Cavalry, Plains Indians, Wild West Shows, Frontier Theater, Beadwork, Feathers, 19th Century Western Americana] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Carte-de-Visite, CDV, Albumen Photographs, Frontier Photographers]

Good condition overall, displaying warm tones and pleasing clarity. The card is flat, with only minor handling wear and faint pencil inscriptions on the verso.