Zoe Zolena, the Circassian Beauty

Cabinet card of Zoe Zolena, one of the Circassian Beauties from P. T. Barnum’s traveling performers or circus circuit – women with wildly stylized hair, dressed in the manner of, and pitched by a barker as, someone from a Turkish harem.

The photograph was taken by Charles Eisenmann, a well known photographer of the 19th century who in this case was to be found at 229 Bowery, New York. His card reads: “Portraits taken by instantaneous process.”

$95.