Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1998-02 > 0888603992


From: Manus <>
Subject: Re: Sordid details and sour pusses
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 13:26:32 EST


In a message dated 98-02-26 18:55:09 EST, writes:

<< Is there a reason why no one smiled on the old pictures? Wm. A.
Hamilton had 26 known children, was known as a Ladies Man, and was just
married to his third wife who was 16 years his junior, when the tintype
was taken. You'd think he'd be all smiles but looks very dour, (I think
that's the word). The new wife looks none too happy either.
Just wondering.........................?? >>

What I found is that they had been smiling... taking a picture in that time
period meant a lot of waiting while the film was being exposed. If you're
asked to smile could you actually hold it a whole five + minutes? One tin
type of my Irish immigrant (gggrandfather) shows how his right forefinger
actually moved during the exposure of the film (the finger is double-exposed)
making it look like he was deformed (which he wasn't).

I have a lot of old pictures from the early 1900's and backwards in time of my
family and there are some who actually was able to hold the smile while some
made them look rather creepy looking.

Phil

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