Fashionable Friday - Turn of the Century New York City Woman with Purse

This lovely young woman with the Gibson Girl hair was posed by the photographer standing next to a chair holding a purse.  The hand on the chair held a couple of roses and on the seat of the chair are more roses and what appears to be some type of rolled up document.  She is wore a dark dress with a white lace collar, large buttons down the bodice, a tightly cinched waist and the loose sleeves billow down to tight cuffs at the wrist. She was indeed a vision of loveliness and femininity.  The photographer was Speiss (William) who had a studio at 54 Second Ave. Cor 3rd St. New York between 1895 and 1900 according to langdonroad.com.