About This Image

Is she an actress or a prostitute? Or is she Mrs. Johnston, the artist's wife. The woman bears a striking resemblance to Mrs. Johnston, including her part in the middle and unusual braids. Provenance: From the Col. John R. Johnston album. Johnston was a colorist and painter for the Jessie Whitehurst studios in the late 1850s. He was also a performer and a singer. Because his collection of images has a number of performers/actors in it, it is possible that some were acquaintances of Johnston's, whom he shared billings with. He possibly also practiced photography as an amateur an aid his portrait and landscape work. The family originally lived in Cincinnati and then moved to Baltimore around 1855-56. The album was put together during the mid to late 1850s.

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