Albumen carte de visite portrait depicting an African American woman seated in three-quarter view, photographed by Manier & Kelley’s Gallery of Art, Waterloo, New York. The sitter is shown with composed dignity, her hands folded in her lap, wearing a dark, fitted dress with a defined waist, buttoned bodice, and white cuffs. Her hair is neatly arranged and pulled back, and her calm, direct bearing reflects the formal studio conventions of the Civil War era.

The verso bears the photographer’s printed imprint, “Manier & Kelley’s Gallery of Art, Waterloo, N.Y.,” within an ornate cartouche, firmly attributing the image to this upstate New York studio. The refined mount design and albumen tonality are consistent with mid-1860s production.

This is a strong and increasingly scarce example of early photographic portraiture of an African American woman in the CDV format. Such images are historically significant, documenting Black presence, self-presentation, and respectability during and immediately following the Civil War period. Condition is consistent with age, with light surface wear and toning to the mount; the image remains clear and well-defined.