[Two Men, One Dressed in Women's Attire, Holding Hands]
1870s–80s
![[Two Men, One Dressed in Women's Attire, Holding Hands] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/two-men-one-dressed-in-womens-attire-holding-hands-291893.webp)
Medium
Tintype
Dimensions
Image: 8.6 x 5.2 cm (3 3/8 x 2 1/16 in.), irregular Plate: 9.2 x 5.9 cm (3 5/8 x 2 5/16 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2015.400.159
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intimate tintype portrait, dating to the 1870s–80s, captures men holding hands, with one dressed in women's attire—a-trimmed bodice and skirt that playfully subverts Victorian gender norms. Produced on a small iron plate (just 8.6 x 5.2 cm), tintypes like this were a hallmark of 19th-century photography: affordable, direct-positive images created without negatives, making them popular keepsakes for everyday people. Likely taken in a studio by an anonymous itinerant photographer, it reflects the era's booming portrait culture, where such miniatures served as personal mementos exchanged amo...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...