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Period correct pictures


Chili Ron

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Howdy,

At a rare family reunion last month I got a copy of an OLD photograph

which was the first one I ever saw of my great grandfather.

Most of the people in the photo look like they are about bored to death.

 

So here is my idea fer period correct pictures: make folks stand there for

about 20-30 minutes before takin the shot.

And of course folks would need to be dressed formal in uncomfortable outfits.

 

by the way, my great grandfather was in the civil war at age 16, cavilry

as near as I can tell he was union, probably.

Best

CR

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Howdy

 

Before Kodak introduced the Brownie camera around the turn of the Century, portrait photography was a rare and solemn event. That's why early photographs seldom show people smiling, it was the only time in their lives they were going to be photographed. People wanted to be remembered as dignified. On top of that, most early photographs required the subject to stand still while the exposure was made. It's a lot easier to hold a stern face for a long time than a smiling face.

 

After the Brownie camera was introduced, the popularity of photography skyrocketed. All you had to do was aim and push the shutter button. Kodak advertised that they would do the rest. My grandfather took photos with a Brownie all during the 1920s. Many of the photos show family members smiling.

 

A couple of years ago we had a guy show up at the Great Nor'Easter with an authentic Tin Type camera. I had my portrait taken holding my Henry. I had to sit still for about a minute. I could not have held a smile for a minute. He had an armature that could be used for the subject to lean against to help them stay steady for the exposure.

 

Holy Terror was visiting for that match, and she had her portrait taken while I was waiting for mine. It was all I could do to not jump around and make her laugh.

 

Here is the Tin Type of me. Sitting stone still for a minute required me to stare at the camera.

 

Tin TYpe

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Driftwood....

 

LOVE IT! That looks so cool and authentic. I gotta be on the lookout for that and get one if it ever becomes available to me.

 

:)

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Howdy

 

Before Kodak introduced the Brownie camera around the turn of the Century, portrait photography was a rare and solemn event. That's why early photographs seldom show people smiling, it was the only time in their lives they were going to be photographed. People wanted to be remembered as dignified. On top of that, most early photographs required the subject to stand still while the exposure was made. It's a lot easier to hold a stern face for a long time than a smiling face.

 

After the Brownie camera was introduced, the popularity of photography skyrocketed. All you had to do was aim and push the shutter button. Kodak advertised that they would do the rest. My grandfather took photos with a Brownie all during the 1920s. Many of the photos show family members smiling.

 

A couple of years ago we had a guy show up at the Great Nor'Easter with an authentic Tin Type camera. I had my portrait taken holding my Henry. I had to sit still for about a minute. I could not have held a smile for a minute. He had an armature that could be used for the subject to lean against to help them stay steady for the exposure.

 

Holy Terror was visiting for that match, and she had her portrait taken while I was waiting for mine. It was all I could do to not jump around and make her laugh.

 

Here is the Tin Type of me. Sitting stone still for a minute required me to stare at the camera.

 

Tin TYpe

 

 

Driftwood, you are right, especially about that armature, commonly called a clamp by its victims, used to force the subject(s) to remail still long enough for the exposure. My Dad was born in 1898 and there were a few photographs of his parents around from that era, and Pop would relay his folk's description of how uncomfortable it was to pose "still" long enough and in general how un-happy the experience was. Again you are right about the limited availability of photography before the turn of the 20th century and it was indeed an event to have your "picture took". My grandparents did want to look their best. None of the photos ever showed a glimmer of the mirthful personalities that family lore tells me these people possessed.

 

Many photographs were posed in front of roll-up backdrops in cramped, stuffy "studios" that were generally alien to the lives of the photo subjects, adding to the unnatural feel of the occasion. It was along way away from our ubiquitous cell-phone cameras of today, that's for sure and for certain.

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Here's a real tin type done by a pard at one of our State Matches. Can't remember his alias, but I think he was from upstate NY. He uses Civil War era equipment and the same technology of the period. Does great work........Mink........

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/MinkWV/cowboys.jpg

 

 

Found another one

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/MinkWV/Mink.jpg

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GloryHole 2010

 

nother Glory Hole

 

These are shots I did at the SQMR Glory Hole match of 2010. It was fun but wind was playin heck on props and backdrops and stuff. Was all done with a SLR digital Canon

 

 

Clamity Jane from up north did tintypes for awhile and she even made her own glass plates. Don't know what ever happened to her

 

curley

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Here's a real tin type done by a pard at one of our State Matches. Can't remember his alias, but I think he was from upstate NY. He uses Civil War era equipment and the same technology of the period. Does great work........Mink........

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/MinkWV/cowboys.jpg

 

 

Found another one

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/MinkWV/Mink.jpg

 

Nice pictures, but they are like the "Billy the Kid" pictures with the loading gates on the wrong side of the rifles. Reverse images must be the way to develop them. Just sayin'

 

Big Jake

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Nice pictures, but they are like the "Billy the Kid" pictures with the loading gates on the wrong side of the rifles. Reverse images must be the way to develop them. Just sayin'

 

Big Jake

 

 

Yes, they are the real thing, don't know much about it but the old tin type equipment did not have the mirror to reverse the image...... Mink........

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Well Driftwood has convinced me to add mine as well. They are real tintypes taken by Mark Richards of M & D Photography, he lives in Friendship, NY and is probably the guy Mink refers to.

I first met Mark at the PA State match many years back and he and his wife came up to the Great Nor'easter a few times which is where Drifty & I had our done.

Holy Terror was so taken by the process she wrote an article about it for the CC.

 

The best part of this one is Mark put it on the back of a Goex can. :P

 

Wild Bill sitting with shotgun

 

Wild Bill at tree with pistol

 

This one was done at the Mason Dixon Stampede in 2007 by a different photographer

 

Wild Bill

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