This fancy letter image is one of several found in the same book and presumably created by the same hand. The letter A is double framed. It is within a rectangular frame and surrounded by swirls and curls. A bit of light area immediately surrounding the letter A provides a bit of contrast within the letter and frame.
This fancy letter A is part of a group of letters which include: C, E, H, I, L, N, O, S, T and W.
Ernets Ingersoll’s publishers decorated his 1887 work The Crest of the Continent with these fancy letter, drop cap images.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.