The Pause That Distresses

Children are my favorite members of the species. Even so, even if they are your own, there are times when children – like any other people, actually – will get on your nerves. Children are better at living in the moment than adults are; in photos though, they are well behaved. I get a special charge from the older girl: hand on hip, the position of her hand on the chair arm – "Let's get this done; time's a wasting!"

These three look like they have only paused for the photographer’s benefit; in a moment they will be back to being themselves - like any other people, of course. The charm of still photographs is their timebinding quality.

Our Little Home

Here is a particularly charming example of what I call the “our place” genre of family photos. For such a tiny house, it has large house pretensions: a bay window, dormers, a mansard/gambrel style roof and two chimneys. It appears to sit on an insubstantial foundation – almost directly on the ground – which gives it an almost toy-like appearance, like someone just left it in the yard after they were through playing with it!

Does the elder gentleman own the house or is he just taking charge of the photo process; he sports a mutton chop beard and may hold a large, curved German-style briar pipe in his hand? The son and retiring daughter-in-law (we assume) stand in the background, but the daughters steal the show – they have chosen to climb out of the window onto the tiny roof to display a family cat and a doll! They are such sweet, smiling little misses, one brunette and one blond, that I will give you a close up to enjoy. I also enjoy the wife who stands with her arms folded behind her, watching with intent curiosity (her daughters may be very like her); this photo may not have been her idea but it may have survived in her care. Everything about this photo gives you the feeling that this would be a pleasant family to know and the girls are enjoying a happy childhood. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

I believe this is 19th century, as early as 1870s, but could also be early 20th century; the seller found it in Oregon and had reason to believe the family was from San Jose, CA. Though there are few leaves on the trees there are none on the ground, so it may be early Spring rather than late Fall. I can tell little about the nature of the structures and sheds on the left, but there is a large pickle or sauerkraut crock next to the broom by the kitchen door. The rickety fence is clad in chicken wire but I see no chickens here. Do they farm for a living, or like many, does he hold another job and supplement the food supply with gardens and a few animals?

Are we being unseemly curious about the affairs and circumstances of past lives when we look at photos? I’m sure most of the people in them might be puzzled by the kinds of questions we ask. By their very purpose, photos are to be looked at, so what are we to do, just stare and have no reactions or questions? Not I!

This is a large cabinet print that is in relatively good condition with the exception of a series of fine cracks in the glossy emulsion that radiate like shattered glass – something I have never seen before. Sorry, but I have to ask: couldn’t the photographer have moved a bit to the left or the right so the tree was not the most prominent feature?

Buster Brown In Brooklyn

This large cabinet card gets the award for best preserved antique photo – it is every collector's dream. It spent most of its life framed as evidenced by its clean condition and also by the chemical image burn-through on the back of the mount, which could only occur if enclosed.

It also takes the prize for best child's pose - what panache! He is Momma's little darling and accepts it without question.

It is hard to determine if this is a less froufrou Little Lord Fauntleroy style (1885) or a modified Buster Brown (1905) style, it doesn't quite mimic either character, the former from a book and the latter from a comic strip.

The background tells us that the Butler studio of Brooklyn was an upscale establishment.

Long-Forgotten Celebration

Here is one of several similar postcard-size photos I have of Eastern European origin that come to this country through immigration, nearly always grouped before an unpainted house, sometimes clearly a wedding, or as in this case, unknown. They are all large community gatherings of all ages and include musicians.

I assume the tradition is to take the photo after eating has concluded but drinking is still going on – there are always a few satisfied souls who raise their glass to the camera, or to what is in their glass (I will also choose to assume that the bucket one man is holding contains what he is drinking and serves no other more utilitarian purpose!); the single bearded gentleman is intent on refilling his glass, as are the musicians (accordion, violin and a lute-like instrument); the woman musician is wearing an ankle-length pleated skirt under her overcoat).

The two boys amuse me: the one on the left bears watching, the one on the right looks highly intelligent – I doubt he misses much.

Salt Lake Temple 1900

This photo was likely taken when the temple, which took exactly 40 years to build, was only 10 – 15 years old.

Then, as always, the grounds were open to the public but the temple itself is restricted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints members. It is built of quartz monzonite which has a granite appearance and was quarried at the Little Cottonwood Canyon twenty miles away. 

This is a small cabinet card from a tourist's camera, but from a photographer who knew how to control parallax and distortion.