The subject of this cabinet card, taken at Waide's Bradshaw Art Co. in Quincy, Illinois, is not known. I wasn't able to ascertain much about the photographer, but by finding a few images by the same studio online, I learned they were in business during the mid-1880s.
We can try to date the photo by looking at the woman's outfit. Her dress has a closely fitted bodice and her waist is quite tightly squeezed to accentuate its small size. The fabric of her skirt is draped and pulled back and up to connect with the bustle. The bustle itself is quite large and sits hip-height, indicating that it is from the second bustle period, 1882-1889.
The woman's hairstyle is typical of the early-to-mid 1880s: short, curly bands, hair pulled back and braided into a tidy bun to rest at the nape of her neck.
I wonder who the man in the photograph is. Her departed husband? It's a shame, that, in all likelihood, we will never know.
Her husband or a long lost love..lovely Cabinet Card:)
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