***
This rural family was taken outside their home by a itenerate photgrpher. Unfortunataely the family is unidentified and the portrit is udated. The dealer was in Missouri and we think that he portrait could have been taken in that area. The planks of the home were well worked. We doubt if it was taken earlier than the 1890s.
Here the mother's dress is the most fashionable item and thus most dateable item in thre portrait. A reader tells us, "Looks like the first half of the 1890s to me." The design element of the sleeves on the mother's dress is very important, by the mid-1890s we see balloon sleeves of increasing size.
The portrait is not a cabinent card, but was mounted on cardstock. It is a family of six, before a baic, but not ramshackle home. The older girl on the left has long, rather disheveled hair, and light patterned pinafore, large light bow, and white collar. Father wears a dark shirt and pants wtih suspenders. There are three youngr children wearing dresses. The two younger children are almost certainly boys. They wear very similar light-colored ginham dresses with eyelet lace collars. The third younger child we are not sure about. The child, may be a girl, but if so her hair is very short. It was not unknoewn for youner girlsto have short hair, but it certainy is in contrast to her older sister. She weares a dark dress with eyelet about neck and a string of beads. Mother has dark button up bodice dress and skirt with a chatelaine brooch at the collar, parted and pressed hair.
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