Daguerreotype of young girl with Iroquois beaded bag and grandmother, ca. 1845
This is the earliest known Daguerreotype of someone with a Niagara style bag. In this recently found image, the style of the young girl’s dress along with its tight sleeves, elongated bodice, and shallow V neckline date this rare image to the 1843-1845 period. Unlike many daguerreotypes from the mid-nineteenth century where the sitters wore their most fashionable outfits, these seem like plain folks. The older woman’s dress is very unfashionable for the period and was likely just a generic house/work dress with a shapeless, practical jacket. The bag must have been a prized possession.
Via: Iroquois beadwork
