Figure 1.--This colorized ambrotype portrait shows an unidentified young family family, orobably during the late-1850s. The dealer believes it came from Chicago or the Chicago area. The man had a fashionable beard, a style we have noted at mid-century. We have noted Mormons wearing this style, but are not sure if it had any association with specific communities. He wears a stock, vest and suit jacket with wide lapels. The pants are a contrasting rather than matching color. His wife wears a patterned dress with a white collar and narrow waist. They have two children. The younger child on the left looks to be about 1-year old. He wears a patterned dress with a belt and we think long trousers, although it us a bit difficult to tell. Notice his top roll hair do. His older sibling looks to be about 5-years old and seems to be a girl, especilly as she has flowers in her hair. She also wears a patterned dress. She also has a belt which we think was more common for boys. We do see girls with belt-like waistlines, but they seem more like fabric waistbands than belts. This girl seems to have a belt.

This colorized ambrotype portrait shows an unidentified young family family, orobably during the late-1850s. The dealer believes it came from Chicago or the Chicago area. Illinois at the time was on the Western frontier and Chicago was just beginning to grow as the rail system was growing. The man had a fashionable beard, a style we have noted at mid-century. We have noted Mormons wearing this style, but are not sure if it had any association with specific communities. He wears a stock, vest and suit jacket with wide lapels. The pants are a contrasting rather than matching color. His wife wears a patterned dress with a white collar and narrow waist. They have two children. The younger child on the left looks to be about 1-year old and we thought was a boy. He wears a patterned dress with a belt and we think long trousers, although it us a bit difficult to tell. Notice his top roll hair do. His older sibling looks to be about 5-years old and seems to be a girl, especilly as she has flowers in her hair. She also wears a patterned dress. She also has a belt which we think was more common for boys. We do see girls with belt-like waistlines, but they seem more like fabric waistbands than belts. This girl seems to have a belt. Here social class factors were involved. Unlike breeched boys, these belts have no practical function. It is just that a defined waist was seen as fashionable. There is an insription on a piece of paper folded into the bck. It read as best I can make out, My Granney Jean [lettrs inditinct]. Aunt Mary and my mother Alliason Alta." This suggests both children are girls. We think 'Alta' is a family name, although it is writtem on another line.

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Created: 9:44 PM 1/16/2015
Last updated: 9:44 PM 1/16/2015