Featured Is this lady an actresss?

That certainly looks as if it's meant to be a Regency costume.

Debora

 

Building had just opened. Here's the photographer.

Debora

 

This is what the fashion was in 1895 for comparison.

Debora

 

Had a bit of a google but nothing pops up!.
‘Face’ is odd. Grace? But that does look like an ‘f’…..

 

I think it's a "T" but impossible to tell for sure.
Is she missing an arm? Not sure it's there..?

 

I was wondering about the arm as well.

No help with who the person is (was). She is lovely.

 

Her eyes say it all. But what all is, tis a mystery.

 

She's wearing a very fancy dress, and as Debora pointed out, a bit different from the norm at that time. Her hairstyle is good for 1895. I can't tell if it is some sort of theatrical or performance costume (perhaps a singer?) and I don't recognize her.

We finally have one item with clear handwriting, except for that darn first letter in her first name!

The way the back is written, I think it is possible that she is some sort of performer. Alternatively, she could have been just a "regular" person, somebody very revered or respected by the JMC whose initials are below her name. And that missing arm! Whether really there but somehow hidden, or whether actually missing would be interesting to know. If she was a performer and missing an arm, there should be writeups about her some time in the 1890s, at least. With only her surname to go on, it might be quite a search!

 

What do you mean by "style of handwriting?"

Debora

 

FWIW -- hard to see any reading other than "Face," but maybe a nickname? We did in fact attend high school with a lovely girl (Janet something, was it?) actually nicknamed "Face". . . Or possibly the "Face" in the photo had her name popularly shortened from some obscure name like "Facenia" or "Facetia" . . . ?

 

Would likely have been based on Spencerian as Palmer wasn't introduced until 1895.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencerian_script

Debora