Boy in a braided suit beside a younger child, West Chester, Pennsylvania — E. Woodward

A full-length studio portrait of two children, the older boy seated on a wooden chair with one arm around the smaller child standing beside him. Both face the camera. A patterned carpet covers the floor beneath a dark backdrop.

The boy’s long jacket has horizontal braid, rows of rounded buttons and looped decoration at the cuffs, worn with matching trousers and a broad belt with a circular clasp. The younger child wears a checked dress with dark vertical trim and repeated bands around the hem, a contrasting belt and lace-up boots. The boy’s clothing is cadet-like, but no readable insignia establishes a school or military affiliation.

The reverse credits the photographer: “E. WOODWARD, / Photographer, / No. 1, cor Church and Gay Sts , / WEST CHESTER. / No.” The number “2830” is clearly entered in pencil on the dotted line following the final printed “No.” Its precise function is not stated, and no corresponding number appears on the front.

Neither child is named, and their relationship and the date are unrecorded. The portrait was taken at Woodward’s studio at the corner of Church and Gay Streets, West Chester, Pennsylvania.