Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

Big bow

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

August 23, 2012

This photo from our Leather CdV album is in the ninth opening and features a woman with a huge bow, covered with other adornments. I see lace, a brooch, a necklace, a choker and maybe a dried flower. The long chain could be attached to a pocket watch or a fan at her waist. I find it interesting that the edges of the large bow ribbon appear to be frayed. However, I wonder if they are finished in a small fringe that didn’t photograph well. her hair is also arranged quite stylishly. It is crimped, tucked and pinned in an elaborate fashion.

The photographer she selected to make her portrait was Richard Walzl of No. 46 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD. Walzl was apparently well known and prolific in the Baltimore area, having written a book (The Photographer’s Friend), photographed Abraham Lincoln’s summer cottage and other landmarks in and around Baltimore and Washington DC in stereoviews. He was born in 1843 and lived until 1899.

Open taxi doors

Mrs Marvel

1 comment

August 22, 2012

 

I know that sometimes my first impressions on these photos aren’t the most flattering, and such is the case today. This poor fellow’s ears stick out, and that reminded me of the old saying of the “taxi doors are open” to describe someone with this affliction. Isn’t it interesting to ponder what life would have been like for those who simply lacked the ability to surgically alter parts of their appearance they didn’t like? This man could not have his ears pinned back. People did not change the shapes of their noses, lips, chins, or breasts. They lived with their appearance. Certainly, they weren’t obliged to like it, but there wasn’t much they could do about it, after all, so they just dealt with it.

This particular photo gives us more of the name of the photographer…T. Ludwick Darnell. Previous cards named him as T. L. or even simply Darnell. Perhaps he didn’t much like his name and was playing around with it to find an arrangement that suited him best, since of course, he couldn’t change his nose or ears.

Crown of braids

Mrs Marvel

2 comments

August 20, 2012

This photo from the 1870s features a solemn woman with a crown of braids. Her dress appears to have been velvet. Victorian fashions were much more bold in their color choices at times, so this dress could have been blue with red trim, brown with green trim, orange with black trim, etc. We will never know, of course. She chose to sit for T. L. Darnell of Cumberland, MD.

UPDATE: a site reader advised that Darnell did not open his studio until 1889, so this photo must be from that time or later. It conflicts with the clothing estimate, unless she was photographed in the first couple years of his operation. Or, maybe she didn’t like the big puffy sleeves of the ’90s. :-)

Curly haired rogue

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

August 19, 2012

 

 

This fellow has delightfully curly hair and a look on his face that just tickles my fancy. One eyebrow is slightly higher than the other, as though he were questioning the abilities of the photographer during the session. James S. Woodley was known to have been in business in 1867 in York, PA, which is in keeping with the style of image shown here. The back of the photo indicates that the studio was located at the corner of George & Main Streets, over Lebach & Brothers store. In ’67, Woodley photographed a local Lutheran church ceremony of the Reformation, celebrating the 350th anniversary of Lutheranism.

Ribbon askew

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

August 18, 2012

 

 

Had this photo been taken of me, I would not like it because the ribbon on this lady’s hair is askew. It is somehow flopped forward onto her head. Whether that was an accident or the ribbon just didn’t cooperate we can never know. Regardless, she is serene and maybe a bit pensive. The image was made by Van Wagner & Dyer of Baltimore, MD. The studio was known to be in operation in the 1870s, and so that is how I will date the photo, although it could possibly be late 1860s. The corners of the card appear to have been cut rather than made rounded. Also the imaged masked in the center of the card is one of the signatures of CdV portraiture in the 1860s. In the 70s more options became available to photographers, and we begin to see the oval mounts, colored cards, full size images, etc.

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