[Woman with Flowers on Dress]

Invented in 1856 as a more affordable and durable alternative to the daguerreotype and ambrotype, tintypes remained immensely popular throughout the 19th century, often made by itinerant artisans traveling from town to town. In the post–Civil War period, when racist and derogatory depictions of African Americans in music, theater, and art were common, photography offered a Black middle class the opportunity to assert new social and political identities. This half-length portrait reveals the sitter’s wide eyes, her carefully coiffed hair, and the delicate, hand-colored floral pattern of her fine dress.