19th century portraits rarely had smiles. This is partly because when photography was young exposures could take up to 45 minutes. A long time to sit still. And partly because smiling for a photo back then was thought to be undignified.
According to the Smithsonian her name is O‑o-be’. She was a member of the Kiowa tribe in the Oklahoma Territory, and the photo was taken in 1894. I love this portrait. Her smile makes me smile 🙂
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