Photograph of a woman holding a guitar: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A cabinet card photograph portrait depicting a woman in a dark dress with puffed sleeves. A white lace scarf is tucked under her collar and extends down her chest. Her right hand is resting on the head stock of a guitar, which is resting on the floor. She is standing in front of a painted background of pillars. Printed on the card below the photograph is “O. S. GOFF” and DICKINSON / N. D.” The back of the card is blank.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1881-1900
• Photograph by: Orlando Scott Goff, American, 1843 - 1916
• Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women
• Type: cabinet photographs
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: photographic gelatin and silver on photographic paper on card mount
• Dimensions: H x W (card): 6 7/16 × 4 3/16 in. (16.3 × 10.7 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 5 9/16 × 3 7/8 in. (14.1 × 9.8 cm)
• Place captured: Dickinson, Stark County, North Dakota, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American West
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Object number: 2016.5.2.48
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.