Untitled (Portrait of Two Girls)
1865
Medium
Ambrotype
Dimensions
8.2 × 6.9 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.); Open case: 9.3 × 16 × 1.2 cm (3 11/16 × 6 5/16 × 1/2 in.); Case: 9.3 × 8 × 1.9 cm (3 11/16 × 3 3/16 × 3/4 in.); Plate: 8.3 × 7 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
250073
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Photography and Media department of the Institute of Chicago, *Untitled (Portrait of Two)* (1865) is a delicate ambrotype—a pioneering photographic process from the mid-19 century. Created by an unknown maker, this intimate portrait captures two young girls gazing directly at the viewer, their expressions poised and earnest. Measuring just 8.2 × 6.9 cm, the glass plate is housed in an ornate case (9.3 × 8 × 1.9 cm when closed), typical for ambrotypes, which were often carried as personal treasures or displayed on parlor tables. Ambrotypes, popular from the 1850s to 1860s, invol...