Workman in Red Flannel Shirt and Suspenders (c. 1855–60): Art, History and Details

Workman in Red Flannel Shirt and Suspenders (c. 1855–60) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The occupation of the man in this photograph is unknown, but he was a laborer who probably worked outside. Daguerreotypes of people in their work clothes are rare outside of “occupational” images, in which workers are shown with the tools of their trade. Such images are crucial to representing the diversity of classes in 19th-century America.

Object facts

• Title: Workman in Red Flannel Shirt and Suspenders
• Date: c. 1855–60
• Culture: America
• Type: Photograph
• Technique: daguerreotype with hand-applied color
• Dimensions: Image: 7 x 5.7 cm (2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in.); Case: 9.2 x 8.1 cm (3 5/8 x 3 3/16 in.)
• Collection: PH - American 19th Century
• Department: Photography
• Accession number: 2024.15

A detail from the museum

Originally woven out of wool, flannel shirts were warm and durable, an excellent choice for those working outdoors.

Collection credit

Gift of Nina Rosenblum and Lisa Rosenblum

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.