The image to the right is a Carte de Viste (CDV), which were very popular in the mid to late 19th century. These were usually photographs, and people would give them to each other - sort of like calling cards I guess. What is a little different about this one is that this is an illustration, not a photograph. I'm not sure of the process used to actually put this illustration on paper and affix it to the cardboard backing, it could be photography was involved, but I doubt it.
Anyway, we've figured out that this is Charlotte Bronte, and this is from a famous portrait of her. She died when photography was in it's infancy, and I'm not sure if she ever had her photo taken.
CDVs usually measure about 2 1/2 X 4 inches, and this is pretty close to that. You can date them by the thickness of the backing, square corners vs round corners, and the ornateness (or lack of ornateness) of any photographer information on it. Sometimes you get lucky and someone has written a date on it. This one has no such info tho. We believe this one is from the 1870s or so, but it's just an educated guess.
Click on the title to go to the listing if you're interested.
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