Figure 1.--This Carte De Visite (CDV) portrait is a standard 2 1/2 " by 4". Itshows two unidentified children, surely siblings, look to be about 3-5 years of age. Both children wear skirted garments that look like white dresses worn with dark long stockings. The dealer thought them brother and sister, but we are not at all so sure. The older child we think is a boy. He has a center part which is of associted with girls because it was a way of dealing wuth long hair. The way the center part is combed, however, the child surely is a boy.

We will archive portraits here that show a range of hair styles with gender connotations, but with unidentified subjects. Most available images are not identified. Quite a number have names on the back, but most unfortuntely do not. Thus we can only speculate as to gender. There are, however, a rang of indicators, includung both hair and clothing that can help identify or at least suggest gender. We will try to identify the gender, but readers are incouraged to add any insights they may have.

Image 1: Hartford Children

This Carte De Visite (CDV) portrait is a standard 2 1/2 " by 4". Itshows two unidentified children, surely siblings, look to be about 3-5 years of age. Both children wear skirted garments that look like white dresses worn with dark long stockings. The dealer thought them brother and sister, but we are not at all so sure. The older child we think is a boy. He has a center part which is of associted with girls because it was a way of dealing wuth long hair. The way the center part is combed, however, the child surely is a boy. The white outfit does not offer much detail, but looks rather like a dress. The youngr child looks to be about 3 years old. The child is wearing a white dress, with a low set colored sash. The child has ringlet curls looking ratherlike the ringlet curls boys wore during the Fauntleroy era. The portrait may have been taken somewhat earlier, perhapd the 1870s or early-80s. The studio was Bundy in Hartforf, Connecticut. Interestingly, the card mount was printed in France which we think suggests the 1870s.

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Created: 3:22 AM 3/22/2013
Last edited: 3:22 AM 3/22/2013