Striking original carte de visite depicting a Navajo family outside their adobe home in the American Southwest, likely in the New Mexico Territory, circa 1870s. The image captures a rare and intimate outdoor scene featuring five individuals: a man, two women, a young child, and a figure seated on the rooftop. The central male figure stands at the base of a wooden ladder, dressed in a vest and long-sleeve shirt, with a powder horn or pouch slung at his side. The two women beside him are wrapped in classic Navajo striped blankets, standing near a small window where a child appears to be playing or looking outside. Another young person sits casually atop the adobe roof.

The photograph offers an authentic view of Navajo domestic life during the early reservation era, combining architectural, cultural, and personal elements in a single, well-composed image. The presence of the ladder, the adobe construction, and the subjects’ traditional and transitional dress all contribute to the documentary value of the piece. Outdoor images of Navajo families from this time period are uncommon, especially in the CDV format.