A century half plate ambrotype featuring an adorable young child seated on a draped table. The child’s partially undressed form, with a delicate off-shoulder white garment, conveys a sense of innocence and natural charm. The image is encased in a beautifully preserved, gilded oval brass mat, which bears the patent mark PATENTED JULY 4, 1854 and the maker’s mark AMBROTYPE GUTEKUNST & BRO.