[ Autographs ] BLACK WOMAN AND WHITE CHILD AMBROTYPE A fine sixth plate ambrotype showing a black woman, likely a slave judging by her attire, holding a white child in a calico dress in her lap. The child, which is staring intently into the camera, appears to be being held steady in the lap of the woman, whose hands appear to be puffing out the dress around the child's waist to better display it for the camera Most likely this image is from the Civil War or earlier, as ambrotypes were largely out of fashion after 1861, giving way to tintypes. Some surface scratches therefore only good to very good, but still an arresting and pleasing image.