According to the records of the Old Slave Mart Museum, Emmaline used fabric and buttons from her own clothing to construct this "Mammy" doll for the children of the Montgomery family.
William T. Montgomery, the owner of a large plantation in Bolivar County, Missouri, purchased Emmaline in New Orleans in 1841. The enslaved teenage Emmaline was intended as a wedding present for Montgomery's 16-year-old bride, Nancy Ballou. Emmaline was Mrs. Montgomery's personal servant and nurse to the fourteen Montgomery children. After emancipation, Emmaline lived with a grandson of the Montgomery's until her death in 1936.
Description:
Tintype of Emmaline, a formerly enslaved woman. Emmaline is pictured seated in front of a studio backdrop. She wears a skirt, jacket and gloves of the same dark fabric. The jacket has a single row of small buttons up the center. She also wears a white collar with a dark ribbon, earrings, and a small hat. Her proper right arm is down by her side and her proper left hand is on her lap. She is smiling and is looking straight ahead at the camera. There are small losses to the tintype on the lefthand top and bottom corners.
