Full Plate Hand-Colored Tintype of a Well-Dressed African-American Girl American, Circa 1860 / SOLD

Description

Full Plate Hand-Colored Tintype of a Well-Dressed African-American Girl American, Circa 1860 – Inventory Number: HAR 228 / SOLD A poignant and exceedingly rare full plate tintype (approx. 6.5” x 8.5”) depicting a young African-American girl captured in striking formality and grace. She stands in a full-length studio pose, attired in a finely patterned dress with wide crinoline and cinched waist, her garments carefully hand-colored to highlight the fabric’s texture and detail. One hand rests gently upon a covered table where a small stack of books suggests education, refinement, or aspiration. Her expression is solemn yet composed, and the image is rendered with a quiet dignity rarely afforded to African-American subjects in period photography. The photograph is housed in its original ornate oval gilt frame with floral gesso work and retains its original domed glass, enhancing the presence of the image. Photographs of African-American children—especially girls—rendered in full plate format and with such attention to hand coloring are exceptionally uncommon. This tintype likely represents a Northern free family or possibly a household of some means during or shortly after the Civil War. Condition: Excellent with minor wear to frame; strong contrast and vivid hand tinting A deeply moving and historically significant portrait—an enduring and rare visual record of Black identity and agency in 19th-century America.   Inventory Number: HAR 228 / SOLD