Portrait of a Woman c. 1849

This portrait of a woman is a daguerreotype, an early photographic process, made by Augustus Washington. The image offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the mid-19th century in the United States. The sitter's dress, hairstyle, and jewelry mark her as a woman of means. During this era, the rise of the middle class created a demand for portraiture as a means of asserting social status. Photography studios emerged as important sites where these social identities were performed and recorded. Washington was one of a few African-American daguerreotypists working at that time. His very presence in this profession challenged the racial hierarchies that defined the antebellum United States. To understand the full significance of this image, one might consult census records, city directories, newspapers, and abolitionist society records. These sources can illuminate the identities and social networks of both the sitter and the artist. Art, here, becomes a valuable artifact, contingent on its historical context.