Carte De Visite (CDV) of Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896)

This is a classic carte de visite (CDV) of Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896), the celebrated American author, abolitionist, and social reformer best known for her 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which profoundly influenced the anti-slavery movement and public opinion leading up to the Civil War.
 
CDVs of Stowe were produced in the 1860s–1870s during the height of the carte de visite craze, often from studio portraits capturing her in middle age. Common examples show her seated or in three-quarter view, wearing a dark Victorian dress with lace collar or bonnet, her hair center-parted and drawn back, with a thoughtful, dignified expression reflecting her intellectual stature.
 
These affordable "celebrity cards" circulated widely, symbolizing Stowe's fame as a literary and moral force. Surviving examples often show good contrast but may have light toning, minor foxing, or edge wear typical of the era.