Carte de visite standing portrait of a young Circassian beauty, or “Moss-haired girl” leaning against props in an elaborate studio setting.

The mount bears the imprint “Eisenmann, Photo, 229 Bowery, N.Y.” while the reverse carries the distinctive illustrated advertising design for Charles Eisenmann’s studio, reading “The Eisenmann — Instantaneous Photographs — The Popular Photographer — 229 Bowery, N.Y.” Eisenmann (1836–1897) operated one of New York’s most prolific portrait studios and is best known for photographing theatrical performers, circus personalities, and unusual or novelty subjects like the Circassians.

Portraits of Circassians were a popular novelty subject in nineteenth-century photography, often produced for publicity. This is a classic example of Eisenmann’s theatrical photographic style.