African American Nanny with Baby CDV, ca 1869

African American Nanny with Baby CDV, ca 1869

CDV portrait featuring an African American woman, likely a nanny, helping to position a young girl having her photograph taken. C.R. Rees: Richmond, Virginia, n.d., ca 1869. Photographer's imprint on verso. The child is posed on a set made to look like a natural rock formation, with ivy placed around her, while the woman is pictured wearing a patterned shirt and hat, leaning forward with one arm extended behind the child's back, likely to keep her propped up for the portrait. Ivy leaves are tinted green.
Condition Report: CDV with some small abrasions/spots of discoloration and light surface soil. Light wear to mount edges. Penciled collection/catalogue codes on verso, along upper edge.