Cabinet card photograph of Annie Jones. She sits looking off camera to the right, with two perfect curls right above her eyes. Her hair is elaborately arranged on top of her head, and she wears an elaborate dress. Her beard is well groomed, and well defined in the photo. Annie Jones (July 14, 1865- October 22, 1902), whose full name was Annie Jones Elliot, was a circus performer associated with P.T. Barnum's circuses. She had a long, well kept beard which made her a popular attraction. She was born in Virginia, and entered employ under P.T. Barnum when she was only nine months old. She remained in show business her entire life, and she strove to remove the word "freaks" from the descriptions of performers such as herself. She married twice, the second time to her childhood sweetheart. Jones died of tuberculosis in 1902. Cabinet cards are photographs mounted on card that measured about 4.25 by 6.5 inches, popular from the 1870s-1900s. They were used primarily for portraits and, like the cartes de visite before them, were considered collectable. Measures 6.5 by 4.25 inches. Photographs like this one were sold as a part of exhibitions, and in the case of performers whose claim to fame was related to their physical appearance or a developmental disability, the staging in photographs helped to emphasize their differences. This was accomplished by consciously manipulating clothing, props, the backdrop, and all other elements of the photograph in order to draw attention to their particular traits. The question of who was responsible for the staging, be it photographer, manager, or performer, varied greatly. Below the photo it reads "Obermuller and Kern, instantaneous portraits. 288 Bowery, N.Y. Opp. Fifth st." Dates to about 1870-1902.