There’s a stillness to early studio photography that later snapshots never quite captured — the long exposure, the careful posing, the painted backdrop meant to look like rich brocade. This portrait holds all of it: a wide-eyed baby propped against an ornate patterned cushion, dressed in a delicately hand-tinted pale pink gown, gazing somewhere just past the camera with the solemn expression so many infants wore in front of early lenses.
The tinting here is soft and faded in the way genuinely old hand-colored photographs age — a warm blush in the cheeks and gown, muted greens creeping into the backdrop’s edges, giving the whole print a dreamy, almost antique-postcard quality. The reverse is marked with a studio reference number, “a1037,” in period pencil — the kind of inventory mark a photography studio would have used to track its negatives and reprints.
A lovely piece for collectors of early portrait photography, hand-tinted ephemera, or anyone drawn to the quiet formality of a bygone nursery portrait.
• Size: 8 x 10 inches
• Type: hand-tinted studio photograph, mounted on card stock
• Era: early 20th century, based on backdrop style and tinting technique
• Subject: unidentified infant, studio pose against patterned cushion
• Markings: studio reference number “a1037” in pencil on reverse
• Condition: age-appropriate wear — soft, slightly worn corners and edge toning consistent with genuine early-century photo stock; tinting shows gentle natural fading; no tears or creases through the image
Shipping from United States
Processing time
1 business day
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
Returns & exchanges accepted within 30 days
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
I gladly accept cancellations
Request a cancellation within: 2 hours of purchase
Privacy policy
I respect your privacy and will only use your personal information as needed to fulfill your order, communicate with you about your purchase, comply with legal or tax obligations, resolve disputes, and provide customer service.
I may receive personal information such as your name, email address, shipping address, payment-related information, and order details through Etsy when you place an order or contact me.
I share information only when necessary to operate my business and fulfill your order, such as with Etsy, payment processors, and shipping carriers, or when required by law.
I do not use buyer information for unsolicited marketing or sell personal information to third parties.
I retain order information only for as long as reasonably necessary for business, tax, legal, and record-keeping purposes.
If you have questions about the personal information I hold about you, or wish to request access, correction, or deletion where applicable, please contact me through Etsy Messages.