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Portrait of a Young Girl Holding a Doll

Photograph
This black-and-white glass plate negative captures a young African American girl standing outdoors, holding a doll in her arms. She is elegantly dressed in a Victorian-style dress with lace trimmings and a large decorative hat adorned with flowers. The backdrop features a brick building with a window and a wooden fence, possibly a residential setting. The image has visible damage and imperfections, typical of early photographic negatives, with scratches, dust, and marks.
Portrait of a Young Girl Holding a Doll picture number 1

Glass plate negatives were commonly used in photography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries before being replaced by film negatives. This particular image could date to the 1890s–1910s, based on the girl’s attire and the photographic medium. The elaborate clothing and accessories suggest that this may have been a formal portrait, possibly taken by a professional photographer. The presence of the doll indicates affection, childhood innocence, or possibly a depiction of status and family prosperity. Given that Lewis Latimer was an amateur photographer, this could be a family or community member captured through his lens. This image is a rare and valuable representation of Black childhood in the early 20th century, a time when such personal photographs were less commonly preserved.

The Lewis H. Latimer Papers (1870-1929, 1972) [QPL Subgroup]Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]