Generally I avoid purchasing old Portsmouth photographs in online auctions. It can be an expensive hobby and most of the subjects are unidentified and lost to history. This Davis Bros. "carte de visite" image, however, had promise. It shows a woman in tight braids, beaded earrings and pince-nez glasses. (Continued below)

The back of the card is labeled "Mrs. C. Wentworth". She is looking uncharacteristically down and away from the camera while holding too frightened children. The picture was likely taken in the 1860s when the brothers Charles and Lewis Davis were first located at 17 Pleasant Street. She could have been from anywhere and my amateur attempts to track down Mrs. Wentworth have so far been unsuccessful. I’ll turn this like other pictures over to the photograph and document collection at the Portsmouth Athenaeum (founded 1817) that includes thousands of professionally maintained images. If you have a clue to this woman’s identity, please send it along via email. If you’re looking for a home for your old Portsmouth photos, please consider donating them to this historic archive where they will be well cared for and available to future researchers. (Courtesy SeacoastNH.com)

BONUS CLOSE-UPS

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