Portrait of a School Group

1860s

American 19th Century

Associated Names
The image displays a sepia-toned, oval photograph of a large group portrait comprised of men, women, and children. They are visible from at least the waist up, arranged with some individuals seated in the front and others standing behind them, including several people on a stairway to the left. Many of them are dressed in period attire, with men in dark suits and women in dresses covering their shoulders and extending long sleeves, along with hats worn by some. The men have short hair or wear hats, while the women's hair is styled in buns, curls, or parted with curls on their faces. Some women and girls wear shawls or capes. The photograph is framed in an elaborate black wooden frame with beaded detailing and a gold embossed inner border. The background features a plain draped cloth suggesting an indoor or constructed setting for the group portrait.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    ambrotype

  • Credit Line

    The Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection

  • Dimensions

    image (visible): 9.7 × 12.3 cm (3 13/16 × 4 13/16 in.)
    mat: 11 × 14.5 cm (4 5/16 × 5 11/16 in.)
    framed: 21.9 × 25 cm (8 5/8 × 9 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2023.146.22


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Ross Kelbaugh, Marriottsville, MD; gift to NGA, 2023.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso of frame, by Ross Kelbaugh, upper center in black ink: KC133; center left in graphite: R12


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