Sixth plate daguerreotype studio portrait depicting an African American woman seated and holding a white infant on her lap. The woman wears a patterned dress with a white ruffled collar, and the child is dressed in a light gown typical of mid-19th-century infancy. Both subjects face the camera, with the woman’s expression composed and direct. The image is housed in a period hinged case with an ornate gilt brass mat surrounding the plate.

A handwritten note is present inside the case, reading in part, “Sent to me at San Francisco July 1855, L. Blossom,” and continues with an identification referencing “Charlie L. Blossom’s hair at 18 mo old.” An accompanying small envelope is included, containing a lock of hair identified in the note as belonging to the child. The inscription provides both a geographic reference to San Francisco and a specific date, situating the object firmly in the mid-1850s.

The daguerreotype remains housed in its original embossed leather case with decorative exterior tooling. The interior retains its original paper lining with handwritten inscription, gilt mat, and hinged construction. No photographer’s imprint is visible.