Figure 1.-- This ambrotype is a portrait of an unidentified American boy. He looks to be about 10 years old. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the late-1850s. The very early 60s is also possible. We have no idea where he was from. He wears a military-style jacket with a dense row of buttons up the front. We count 8 buttons, but there probanly were nine. The buttons, however, stop short of his waist. He has a white collar, somewhat larger than we normally see, which is worn by a kind of black bow made from a stock-like neck wrapping. Also note his ring.

This ambrotype is a portrait of an unidentified American boy. He looks to be about 10 years old. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the late-1850s. The very early 60s is also possible. We have no idea where he was from. He wears a military-style jacket with a dense row of buttons up the front. We count 8 buttons, but there probanly were nine. The buttons, however, stop short of his waist. He has a white collar, somewhat larger than we normally see, which is worn by a kind of black bow made from a stock-like neck wrapping. He has long pants that seem to match the jacket. The jacket almost certainly was a dark blue, but not navy. He has a very large handkerchief in his pocket. The pose is a standard one with a cloth-covered tabel. He also has a gold ring on his left little finger. We seem to see quite a few American children wearing gold rings in the 1850s. We suspect that discovery of gold in California (1848) was a factor here. There seems to have been no consensus, however, as to where these rings should be worn.

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Created: 6:50 AM 12/9/2008
Last updated: 6:50 AM 12/9/2008