This small studio portrait was found, in a beautiful little cream-colored wooden frame, in an antique store in Castroville, California. On the back, which was sealed up in brown paper, was written,  “WAB & Mother.”  This is the only clue we have to the lovely young woman’s identity, and it’s the most logical guess that WAB are her initials.

The framed photo has been hanging on the wall next to my computer for almost a year, and I’ve naturally become attached to the unknown woman, not to mention debating off and on whether to break into the professional framing job to see if there is any i.d on the back of the photo itself….So yesterday, after an espresso and in a fit of cleaning and organizing, I finally gave in to curiosity. Alas, the only writing is the photographer’s note:   “3/4″ 11487 – 846 – 55¢.  trim off white.”  (Bugger!)

Well, she’ll go back up on the wall where she belongs, unless someone recognizes this woman as someone from their own family. And who knows whether WAB actually lived in the Castroville area, or in California at all, and this is probably wrong but maybe it’s because her portrait was found on the Central Coast that I think of her as a Portuguese fisherman’s daughter.

Framed studio portrait, circa 1880s – 1890s.

Price:  $15.00       Size:  3 and 1/2 x 5 and 1/4.”