Argonaut Museum

This mother posed with her dead son for this portrait. We know this is a boy because his hair is parted on both sides. We know he is dead because his eyes are closed.

He wears a cotton print frock with front buttons and flounced sleeves. The clothing is poorly arranged on him, which suggests the difficulty of dressing him for this photo. The top of his left boot is visible.

This Etruscan Revival pin has a hook to attach a woman's watch.

These butterfly earrings are 18 karat gold framing pieces of tortoise shell. The pattern is worked into the shell by heating the shell to soften it, then embedding bars of gold and silver. Filing and polishing evens off the surface.