Figure 1.--This cabinent card is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1870s. The child's dress looks to us to bear a resemblance to a boy's kilt suit. We see what looks like a jacket, vest, and pleated skirt. The ensemble is composed of a box pleated skirt of a fabric with tiny stripes; vest that closes with a series of small buttons and has a straight cut bottom edge; and a jacket that has the look of the frock coat with frilly lace cuffs and a very large lace collar. The photographer's props include a woven throw or afghan with a lovely print and a staircase railing.The material and fancy decoration, however, varies from the more plainly styled kilt suit. The child is not identified. We would guess the age is about 5-6 years old. What we do not know is the child's gender. The dealer thiugh the child was a boy. She thought that the ring and locker suggested a girl. Here we disagree. We see many boys wearing jewelry like this. The dealer thought that the short hair suggested the child was a boy. But here we see many girys with short hair. We suspect tht the childwas more likely a girl, but we are not positive. The photographer was Miller, 7 Blue Island Avenue, Chicago. |
