The title of this post is a little presumptuous, but the elegant dress worn by the young woman in this portrait reminds me of snowflakes on a deep winter’s night in New England. She’s also wearing an engagement ring, but the focus isn’t clear enough to see it in detail. Northampton is home to Smith College, and there are several other colleges in the area. Did she make this dress to wear to a winter ball?
This cabinet card portrait was made by Walter Alexander Sheldon or an assistant. Thank you to Marie Panik of Historic Northampton for identifying his studio for me.
Tokens of Companionship 
Oh yes, it’s a magnificent dress! She looks quite pleased with herself, in a serious, unsmiling way. This picture and the image of Judge Reaves from Tyler TX make me very happy I moved from the South to New England, for some reason.
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Well, Judge Reaves is rather stern looking. And that beard…. He’s intimidating, but there’s a hint of something else in his eyes, maybe wisdom or humor. He must have seen a lot in his life, both good and bad.
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