Sixth-plate daguerreotype presents a young girl seated squarely on a studio chair, hands folded in her lap, eyes fixed on the camera. Hand coloring heightens a rich red dress with off-the-shoulder bodice and lace-trimmed sleeves, and brings special attention to the boldly banded stockings that match the dress in alternating stripes. Hair is parted at the center and falls in loose ringlets, a style familiar in American children’s portraiture of the mid 1850s. The plain backdrop and tight framing focus the viewer on expression and costume rather than on studio furniture or props.

Children’s attire in the daguerreian era often balanced formality with playfulness. Short dresses that revealed pantalettes or stockings were practical for movement, while colorists used transparent pigments to enliven textiles and jewelry, creating the vivid reds and whitening of cuffs seen here. Striped stockings became a fashionable accent in the decade, turning a necessary garment into a display of taste. The plate captures that moment of style with unusual clarity, making the image both a tender likeness and a concise record of mid-century dress.