Ambrotype of African American Woman with Flag

Description:

The woman pictured in this ambrotype (a photographic process on glass that had only a few years of commercial success), is believed to be a washerwoman for Union troops quartered outside Richmond, Virginia. This rare photograph of an African American woman shows her in her best dress, with an American flag pinned to her bodice. The flag has often served as a symbolic, as well as a political, statement, especially for African Americans.

Date Made: 1860s

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: Virginia, Richmond

Subject: Civil WarAfrican AmericanWomenWorkers

Subject:

See more items in: Work and Industry: Photographic History, Civil War, Photography

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 2005.0002.01Accession Number: 2005.0002Catalog Number: 2005.0002.01

Object Name: ambrotype

Physical Description: glass (overall material)Measurements: overall: 9.5 cm x 8.2 cm x 1.6 cm; 3 3/4 in x 3 1/4 in x 5/8 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-d108-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1293214

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