Albumen cabinet card photograph depicting a child posed full-length in an elaborate theatrical costume, wearing a decorative hat with plume and period-style garments. The image was produced by Neidhardt’s Photographic Studio of Chicago and likely dates to the 1870s. The carefully arranged pose and distinctive clothing suggest a staged costume or performance portrait rather than an ordinary studio likeness.

The mount bears the imprint Neidhardt, Chicago, with the reverse printed Neidhardt’s Photographic Studio, 238 Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, accompanied by an elaborate camera-and-putti trade design. Such decorative backs were characteristic of Chicago studios in the post–Civil War period and often served as advertisements for studio services and technical capabilities.

Theatrical and costume portraits of children are less commonly encountered than conventional studio likenesses and reflect the popularity of staged portraiture during the carte-de-visite era.