Carte-de-Visite Portrait of an African-American Man, Richmond, c. 1870s

Richmond, 1870. Albumen photograph measuring 2 ½ x 4 inches on larger mount. Fine contrast. Fine. A fine portrait of a formally dressed African-American man taken in Richmond in the 1870s by the G.W. Davis studio, possibly taken during the tenure of James Conway Farley, the noted African-American photographer who Davis hired beginning in 1875. From the size of the image we believe this image dates to the 1870s or later as the transition to larger prints and the cabinet card era began. We do not know which photographer was behind the camera, though it is certainly possible that Farley took this picture, as he was one of five photographers working in the studio during his tenure there. When the other photographers complained about Farley, Davis chose to dismiss them and keep Farley employed due to his talent.