An elderly woman caught mid-stitch occupies the center of this sixth plate daguerreotype, a format and subject combination that places the image firmly in the American daguerreian era of the 1840s to 1850s. The process renders her with exceptional clarity, and the gold-toned mat and ornate gilt brass preserver frame the portrait in the manner typical of mid-century studio presentation. No photographer's imprint is visible, and the maker remains unidentified.

She wears a dark dress beneath a large folded white shawl or fichu draped across her shoulders, with a small ribbon tied at the collar. A white lace-trimmed indoor cap frames her face, and her gaze is directed slightly upward and to one side rather than directly at the lens. Her hands are raised and actively hold two knitting needles with yarn trailing downward, making this an unusually animated genre portrait for the daguerreian period.

The decision to photograph a subject in the act of working, rather than in formal repose, is rare in mid-nineteenth-century studio portraiture and suggests either a deliberate character study or a sitter known for her craft. The leather case retains its original hinged spine and gold-ruled border, housing a mustard-gold velvet mat opposite the plate.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer