Untitled [portrait of an unidentified actress] 1869 - 1874

This carte de visite, a popular photographic format in the 19th century, is an untitled portrait of an unidentified actress by Jeremiah Gurney, a prominent American photographer known for his work in the 1860s and 1870s. Taken between 1869 and 1874, the photograph captures the subject's elegant style, with a dramatic hairstyle adorned with a bow and a star-shaped pin. The subject's pearl necklace adds to the opulent and fashionable feel of the image, making it a quintessential example of 19th-century portraiture. This small-scale portrait is currently housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and its understated elegance showcases the photographer's keen eye for detail and his ability to capture the essence of his subject.