Portrait of a Woman c. 1855

This daguerreotype, "Portrait of a Woman," by Cornelius Jabez Hughes, captures a woman in a seated pose, her hand resting on her chin in a thoughtful gesture. The image, created around 1855, is a fine example of the early photographic portraiture style, where the subject is presented in a formal and composed manner. The use of a simple background and a muted color palette emphasizes the subject's features and the details of her clothing.