Portrait of Telegraphers

1860s

American 19th Century

Associated Names
The image shows two men sitting at a table, with their bodies visible from the waist up. The man on the left is seated on a chair, looking directly at the viewer, and is holding a book or a small stack of papers. He has a clean-shaven face and short, combed-back hair. He is wearing a dark suit with a high-collared white shirt underneath, and his hat is placed on the table beside him. The man on the right is also seated and looks slightly to the side. He has a full beard and mustache, and his hair is somewhat obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. He is dressed in a dark jacket with white piping over a light shirt and holds a similar object to the first man. On the table in front of them are two devices that appear to be related to recording or printing. The background of the image is plain and unadorned, with a uniform tone that serves as a neutral backdrop for the subjects.

Media Options

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

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    albumen silver print with applied color (carte-de-visite)

  • Credit Line

    The Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection

  • Dimensions

    image/sheet: 8.1 × 5.4 cm (3 3/16 × 2 1/8 in.)
    mount: 10 × 6.2 cm (3 15/16 × 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2023.146.107


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

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

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso, by Ross Kelbaugh, top left in graphite: KL104; by unknown hand, upper right in graphite: 110; center in black ink perpendicular: Compliments of / D.M. Donald [?] / & / Z. D. Ells / Telegraph operators; by unknown hand, bottom left in graphite: A349 (5 x 10")


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