Young woman from Latvia
What it is:
Cabinet card style photo measuring 3.25 x 6.5 inches.
What I know about it:
Undated and unidentified. At last my college Russian can come in handy in helping me decipher this Cyrillic. The photographer’s name appears to translate to something like Mamus. The photographer is located in Riga and Venden, Venden being the Livonian (language of Latvia) name for the town of Cesis.
Comments:
Simple and elegant, with a touch of the melancholy. I think this is a lovely photograph.
Pics of Then 
What is around her neck? It does not look like a ribbon or chain to me. It indeed is a lovely picture though.
I assumed it was a fine, thin chain, but I could be wrong. I’m curious about the back of her collar, which looks like white fabric, though maybe I’m not seeing something correctly. In any case, I’m glad you like the photo!
The thing around her neck could be a scapula. They are worn from the neck on thin twisted cotton on the front or back as a sign of Christian piety. They are made of cloth and are either printed or embroidered with Christian symbols. They are normally worn under clothing but sometimes displayed. Or else it is just her collar!!
Interesting! I was unfamiliar with a scapula. Thanks for the information.
The photographer’s name is translated as “Brothers Matis”, apparently the name of Photo Atelier (they used to call them like that in Russian). Very interesting photo, thank you.
Thank you, Svetlana! I guess I wasn’t too far off the mark. 🙂 I always appreciate any input from people who know more about these photos than I do, so I’m grateful you stopped by. I think it is a beautiful photo, and I’m glad you like it, too.