American History: Premier Auction

Lot of 2 half plate ambrotypes housed in full thermoplastic case, bearing a geometric/scroll design. The first features a bearded man clad in a dark suit, while the second depicts a corpulent woman wearing a patterned dress and gold jewelry. Though moderate heaviness was idealized during the nineteenth century as an indication of wealth, status, and fertility, it was never desirable to be extremely overweight. Women of significant heft were frequently ridiculed, marginalized (there was a prevailing correlation between promiscuity and obesity in the last quarter of the century), or included as sideshow performers in itinerant circus troupes.