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“To my dear friend Mr. Parmeley with best compliments of Emma Abbott” is the message Emma Abbott hand wrote on the back of a post card that was likely sent to Peoria theater-owner Orson Parmeley in the 1870s. The card has rounded corners and has browned with age. The brown and white photograph on the front of the post card shows Emma Abbott posed in a room with large marble fireplace behind her to the right and a woman’s writing desk on her left. She leans gently on the lower edge of the closed desk, facing the camera with her head turned to her right. Her right hand rests on her side and holds an unopened fan. She is young. She looks directly to her right. Her lips are closed yet appear ready to smile. Her brown hair is swept up in the back to the crown of her head, where it is held with a comb covered with flowers. It hangs in ringlets to her shoulders. Soft curls fall onto her forehead. She wears large earrings with a circular ornament dangling from a short string of diamonds. The ornament is repeated in her necklace where it hangs from black, grosgrain ribbon.
She wears a lacey blouse with a collar that stands up at the neck and covers
her jacket almost to the shoulders. The jacket is dark in color, probably made of
satin. It extends below her waist onto her hips and accentuates her small, cinched-in waist.
The jacket has embroidered flowers along its front edges. Its sleeves are white and match her
dress. The gown has two tiers which are embellished with organic designs. The hem is
layered in dark color of the jackets and white material of the dress. It has a bustle, which
is caught up into a train. The train has been positioned to the front right. The wording on
the bottom of the photograph reads: “Mora 707 Broadway, N.Y.” Presumably this is the name and
address of the photographer.
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