Who is this gentlewoman? February is Black History Month, and all month long, our history tidbits will focus on the stories and contributions of Black Virginians. But this woman with a Mona Lisa smile is a mystery. Like so many other Black identities, hers has been lost to history. Prior to the 1870 census, there was a lack of detailed information available about the country’s Black population. What we do know is from a short note written on the back of her photo: She was a nurse at Chesapeake Hospital in Hampton, likely during the Civil War. The picture comes from the (Chris) Foard Collection of Civil War Nursing, housed in the Library of Congress. Do you know anything about this woman? Let’s try to find her story together, Virginia. 📸 : Library of Congress/T. Holmes, photographer #bhm #blackhistorymonth #historytidbit #virginiahistory #va #blackhistory