Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

Just dandy!

Mrs Marvel

10 comments

September 7, 2012

Today’s photo from the Leather CdV Album is a fine image of a young man posed quite attractively, presumably so he could impress the ladies he visited and thereby left his visiting card. The square corners of the card indicate the 1860s but this is mid to late century (my guesstimate) due to the entire card being filled with the image. Early century photos were tiny images in the center of the large card.

Note that behind his feet you can see the base of a positioning stand. I heard from a photographer and historical photography enthusiast recently that setting up the photo and holding for the exposure could take up to 15 minutes in the early days. Unfortunately for us, the photographer did not order card mounts with his name on them. Our young buck has a fine set of whiskers on his chin and could possibly have curly hair, but I can’t quite tell. His frock coat is pulled open to reveal his waistcoat and the velvet lapels suggest some means. He is holding his hat against his hip in a rather casual mien.

This is a proud Sepia Saturday post! Click over where you will find photos of trios, brothers and sisters, hats, fancy dresses, and who knows what else?

Hats off to sepia!

Another tax stamp

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

September 7, 2012

 

Today from the Leather CdV Album is a photograph of a woman made between August 1864 – August 1866. The tax stamp in this case has been cancelled by pencil marks across Washington’s face. The lady is finely dressed and my costumer friends will notice how the tops of her sleeves are trimmed. First, they have large pleats to fit the voluminous sleeve to the small armhole, then a button was sewn over the pleats in such a way as to accent the quality of the work. The sleeves look like a cross between bishop and coat sleeves; there is a large amount of fabric made to fit into small top and bottom bindings, but the cuff area is finished as a coat sleeve would have been (not a cuff) and then undersleeves were used. Her dress is of a dark color, but I do not believe it to be a mourning dress because of her white collar and undersleeves. It is lovely and probably was silk or fine wool. Her hair has a glossy sheen that to our modern eyes looks like it needs a wash, but “back then” was attractive. It was probably oiled and/or pomaded as well as not washed in modern hair care products that strip away a lot of the natural oils from our hair.

The photographer of this lady was Evans & Prince photographers in York, PA. It is interesting to note that the print number 3416 was handwritten on the back, but also just under the right hand side of her skirt on the photograph.

To see all the photographs from this collection, scroll down the categories to Leather CdV Album.

Youth

Mrs Marvel

1 comment

September 6, 2012

 

This CdV has been trimmed at the corners so it would slide into a book more easily but the borders reveal its 1860s origin. The “one thin one thick” border lines were in use between 1864-1869. Secondly, the size of the image is consistent with a mid 60s CdV. The smaller, dime-sized images were made generally before 1865. Between 1865-1870 the images gradually became larger until in the 1870s you see an image that fills the entire card.

The photographer used in this instance was Grammer & Perkins – opposite the Odd Fellow’s Hall – in Winchester, MD. Winchester is over 130 miles from Cumberland, where many of our previous photos in this album were produced.

Two men

Mrs Marvel

1 comment

September 5, 2012

Today’s CdV features two men posed seated next to each other (hopefully not on a ratty chair!). I assume by their proximity that they are related. The man on the left appears a bit older than the man on the right. Unfortunately the image quality isn’t good enough to determine much in the way of facial similarities. Be sure to click to enlarge the image – the younger fellow’s trousers and vest are of a spotted wool that was very popular in the 1860s for young men. Both men have vests, neckties and watches.

The photographer was A. C. Platt in Oberlin, Ohio.

E. Gill

Mrs Marvel

6 comments

September 4, 2012

 

 

Up for your consideration is a photograph identified as E. Gill. Popular men’s names starting with E in the 1860s were Edward, Edwin, Eugene, Eustace, Edgar, Ebenezer, Ephrahim….the list goes on. Perhaps Iggy can find an E. Gill who was born around 1840-1845 and who is obviously related to the Hendrickson family.

The photographer used here was Richard Walzl‘s Palace of Photography in the Marble Building, No 103 W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD.

Blog at WordPress.com.