Hannah Rohr Tuffs 1872

This is Augustus Saint-Gaudens's cameo of Hannah Rohr Tuffs. Saint-Gaudens was an Irish-American sculptor of the Gilded Age, a time when America was rapidly industrializing, and social hierarchies were becoming more rigid. Cameos like this were often commissioned by the wealthy. The cameo is a small, intimate object which evokes a sense of personal connection. In carving Hannah Rohr Tuffs in profile, Saint-Gaudens participates in a tradition that dates back to antiquity. But portraiture is always more than just likeness. It can tell us a lot about social status, too. The tradition of carving a portrait cameo was usually reserved for wealthy white individuals. The work prompts us to reflect on the ways in which gender, class, and race intersect to shape representation and identity. Who gets remembered, and how? And what does it mean to have your image preserved in such an intimate and enduring form?