Young woman in Lyons, Iowa
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Since I’m so used to seeing women in 19th Century photos posing in what feel like dark, somber dresses, it catches my eye when I see a dress as boldly patterned and (I assume) as colorful as the one in this cabinet card. This is definitely one of those images that I wish I could see in color, for not just her dress but other details like the flower painting. Though it’s a little hard to read, I believe the title of the book is “Holy Bible and Biblical Library Illustrated”. And I think it’s interesting that the photo is credited to a husband and wife team, “Mr. & Mrs. Fields”, which is unusual.
Pics of Then 
Unusual dress and the Mr & Mrs photography partnership. Love the design on the back of the card.
Thanks, Rich, glad you like it. Yes, I know a graphic designer who collects these just for the designs on the back, and doesn’t even really care about the photos!
I can understand that, they are beautiful works of art!
We think of the past as being in black and white (sepia and white) yet I suspect that the colours were very rich and vibrant, perhaps more so than now.
Agreed. It’s fun to visit a historic home or see an exhibit of vintage clothing, and realize how colorful life could be back then.