Woman from Peru, Indiana
What it is:
Carte de visite (CDV) measuring approx. 2.5 x 4 inches.
What I know about it:
Photographer is Lamoreux & Leas of Peru, Indiana (“Over Kilgore & Shirk’s, Opp. Court House”). Otherwise undated and unidentified.
Comments:
For once my scanner isn’t scanning things too red, the cardboard backing is actually a pale pink. I wish her jewelry were in better focus. It’s unusual to me and I wish I could see it better. But with her hair and the rest of what she’s wearing there’s enough interesting detail to look at, plus, of course, another face out of the past to stare at. Incidentally, I would have thought the rather frilly font on the back said “Lamoreux G Leas”, but that struck me as such an improbable name that I had to Google it. One site said “Lamoreux J. Leas”, but two others, including a historical site listing area photographers of the day, said “Lamoreux and Leas”. So I’ll guess it’s either a weird ampersand, or a typo.
Pics of Then 
I find the bow, comb, or whatever it is, perkily perched atop such a severe hairdo most fascinating.
I suspect it’s a comb, and it may very well be part of what’s holding her hairdo together. I’ve been seeing a number of photos from around that time with decorative little things on top of the hair like that, some that even look like tiny tiaras. I’ll have to post some more.
I have a small book filled with them. Men, women and children. They seem to be small lithographs and or small death photographs. No names to the prictures and you are the first set of people I have come across.
It must be a wonderful book.