A beauty of an early photograph I think, and an iconic feeling one too, to my eye all the better for the toning of the image resulting from living most of its life with an oval mat over top, which makes it feel as if spied through a scope. I've found there is quite a bit out there written about rocking horses, which, though once the purview of the wealthy, by the mid 19th century, with the increasing prosperity brought on by the Industrial Revolution, came to symbolize middle-class affluence. In the U.S., dozens of rocking horse workshops, most of which employed craftsmen arriving from Europe, fed the growing demand, with the popular style mimicking carousel horses, as is the case here. Great horse, wonderfully trepidatious expression on the face of this perfectly outfitted young girl--perhaps wishing her hat and riding crop were not just lying there on the floor! Crystal clear and I think extra evocative from age.
9 3/8 x 7 5/8 as mounted; 8 3/16 x 6 1/16 albumen photo. Very good antique condition, with toning as evident.
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