All three are gorgeous and wearing magnificent clothes. This is elegance. Though little one on the left looks as though she's rather be doing anything else.

The pendant hanging from the long beaded chain is a lorgnette, a pair of folding reading glasses held in a decorative case, frequently made of chased silver or gold, and sometimes of mother-of-pearl. When a catch is depressed, the spring-loaded lenses open out from the case. out ready for use. Mrs. Henderson's is probably gold or silver. Here is a similar lorgnette in chased gold.

You can tell by this pic that Grandma was a knockout in her youth, and the children have inherited her good looks. The little girl on the left is a carbon copy. Great picture.

....Amazing.

Not only are the photos Dave selects for posting absolutely mesmerizing, but the background data you folks come up with are fascinating and delightful. I've got to offer a big "thank you" to all the contributors to Shorpy!

Any ideas?

I have a mother-of-pearl snuff bottle that resembles Mrs. Henderson's.

Or is it a perfume container, monocle or timepiece?

They are all quite stunning in their finery.

The young girl on the left looks mature beyond her years. There seems to be a great deal of confidence in those eyes.

Mary Foote Henderson, wife of Senator John B. Henderson Jr. of Missouri (in office 1862-1869), was a powerful Washington real estate speculator and developer in her own right. Returning to Washington from St. Louis in 1889, the Hendersons built a large granite mansion on Sixteenth Street known as Boundary Castle. Mrs. Henderson developed the Meridian Hill area, and commissioned the speculative construction of dozens of mansions, many of which she sold as embassies. She was also an ardent and successful champion of many of Washington's beautification projects, but experienced a rare defeat in 1900 when she lobbied Congress to replace the White House with a new mansion, on Meridian Hill of course. Widowed in 1913 (probably a closer date than 1910 for the photo here), she continued as an influential hostess and business person in Washington until her own death in 1931.