Unusual and evocative CDV-sized tintype (approx. 2 ½” x 4”) featuring a partially nude baby reclining on a plush fur rug, holding and eating a large slice of watermelon. The composition is both intimate and whimsical, with the child gazing directly at the camera while posed against a painted pastoral backdrop. The image has a raw charm that captures both innocence and period studio theatricality.

Scenes like this are seldom encountered in period tintypes—particularly featuring children posed nude or semi-nude in playful or symbolic settings. The watermelon was a common motif in late 19th-century imagery, often representing summer abundance, rural life, or even coded cultural commentary.