Cabinet Photo of Ethnic Woman?

Hello everyone!

First and foremost, I hope that everyone is having a wonderful 2015! It's cold up here in New England! Trying to pick in the arctic chill has been difficult!

Found this photograph today and I can't figure out what type of clothing this lovely lady is wearing.

Any help / opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you as always in advance!
Warm Regards,
Jon

 

Could this be her on Find A Grave? http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=65868501

If so, she was from Arkansas. Not knowing her ethnic background, I'll guess based on her name that this is a costume she was wearing for some reason... perhaps not related to her ancestry.

I don't have time to look further right now. I've been pretty busy lately and my visits here have been for just a few minutes at a time. I might have more time later today, or tonight. Others can also look!

 

I was very surprised to see the writing on the back. I was expecting something like eastern European or Turkish-Armenian.

 

Well, there are a surprisingly large number of trees on Ancestry that include her (assuming she is the one Fig found on Find-A-Grave), but none has a picture of any kind attached.

Born 1849 in Arkansas, married 1883 to Alexander Hutchinson (born South Carolina.) All with parent information show a family several generations already in the US on both sides. So perhaps this is some kind of "fashion statement" rather than an homage to ethnic origin.

 

Thank you so much for all of the replies! I think that is most likely her! Interesting that the photo made it's way up to New England

I'm gonna guess for a play or like Bakersgma said, "Fashion statement"

Any idea if that's a native America type blanket she has wrapped around her?

Thank you again everyone!

 

I want to say Mexican poncho

 

not NA...with those fringes..

 

her headwear does sort of look like a mantilla.

 

Ha! I just realized that there is also writing on the front - Aunt Sue Purdom. Interesting that the writers (both front and back) use only her maiden IF the sitter is the one on FAG. Why wouldn't they use her married name?

The one we've been looking at had several brothers and sisters who could have had children/grandchildren to call her "aunt" though.

 

From the information you posted before, it looks like she married Mr. Hutchinson when she was about age 34. I think this photo dates from before 1883, based on the look of it... and I think she looks younger than 34. So the inscriptions might have been written before she was married.

 

Oh, duh -- I just noticed somebody wrote "about 1875" on the back. And that one calls her "Miss Susan Virginia Purdom" -- which would have been her name in 1875 or so. No matter when they wrote that, I think they were recording what her name was at the time the photo was taken.

 

Good point Fig! That would make total sense!

Messilane, It does look like that! What type of hat do you think she is wearing under the veil?

Is that a badge of some sort on her hat?

Thanks everyone again for the replies!

 

I think I've seen this style hat, small narrow on front of head, with head cover and a possible shawl in old Godey's Ladies magazine fashion plates or one of the French ladies fashion magazine dating from the mid to late 1800s. I'm looking through the 1800s fashion magazine plates links now.

--- Susan

 

Perhaps one like this?

 

I think you are correct! Most likely just a trendy outfit of the times.

 

Right Messi. As the date found on the back is 1875, I agree with the 1870s. Those narrow hats perched on the front of the head were very much in style at that time. Also in the mid to late 1800s shawls were common. Usually the shawls pictured in 1870s magazine fashion plates were paisley. There is a good chance this girl, think she is more in her late teens rather than a grown woman, didn't have a more expensive paisley shawl. This was the only shawl she had. Most people never could dress as fashionable as the magazines portrayed back then or even today. There are fashion plates dating from c1810 showing that cashmere shawls were popular at that time. Here is a woman with shawl posed on possibly a similar chair. Looks c1870s to me.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-AME...86182?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item20db142da6

March 1872 Godey's Lady's Book plate. Note the hat on the young girl in the foreground.
http://www.historicalsewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/1872-Mar-Godeys-1024x719.jpg

--- Susan

These hats are like what Messi posted. 1870s hats

 

I looked at this last night and found some of the same info as all of you.
But you missed the Washington, Ark bit.
I didn't read all of it, but notice the connections to Mexico. I suspect the shawl was either from Mexico or made to look like a Mexican shawl. If you look closely the darker bands appear knit or crocheted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_Arkansas

 

Thank you all again for the help! It's been greatly appreciated!

 

Looks like a serape? I like the pic

 

Awww Thank you! It does look like a serape!