There's probably no real reason I should like this photo, but for some reason I'm drawn to it. I think it's the expression, more than anything. Her head is slightly tilted, and she has a "get this over with and let me get out of here" kind of look. She's dressed nicely, lots of bows and lace, with a very high collar. She's also wearing wire rimmed glasses, which is interesting. She could have taken them off and no one, especially now, would know the difference. I'm glad she didn't, because for me it adds another element to the photo. It makes her seem more human. I've always found this photo intriguing, wondering what was on her mind.
There is no date information on the photo, but I'm pretty sure it's in the 1890-1910 time frame. She looks to be in her early 20's, which would mean she was born somewhere between the late 1860s to late 1880s, give or take. If she were born in the later end of that spectrum, she could have lived well into the 2nd half of the 20th century. She would have lived to an age where her grandchildren and great-grandchildren (perhaps even her children) would have trouble believing she was ever young, strong, in good health & dressed stylishly.
The photographer's name was Ingalls, and he worked at Knowlton's Studio in Farmington Maine.
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