Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
This view of women and girls working was captured by the German-Italian photographer Alfredo Noack (1833-1895). Born August Alfred Noack in Dresden in 1833, he moved to Italy in his early twenties, first living in Rome (1856-1860) and then moving to Genoa, where he opened a photography studio. He lived in Genoa for the rest... Continue Reading →
This carte-de-visite photo has no information on it about who took it or where. I found it in Massachusetts, but assume it must have originated in Europe. In the 1860s and 1870s, European photographers began employing young people from their communities to dress in national costumes and pose against studio backdrops designed to represent local... Continue Reading →
Unlike the mill workers in the previous post, these two seamstresses appear to be posing outdoors, perhaps at a seasonal or mobile studio. The photographer, Håkon Steinsheim (1860-1933), was based in the village of Oppdal, Norway. (Historically, the name of the town was sometimes spelled Opdal.) The photo (cabinet card) came to me from Wisconsin.... Continue Reading →
This photograph was in a collection of materials dating to the years just before, during and after the First World War. Printed on plain paper larger than a postcard, my guess would be that it was taken after the war. On the back is a brief inscription in German: "Rumän. Bäuerinnen i. Sonntagsgewand" (Romanian countrywomen... Continue Reading →
The unidentified woman in this photograph is wearing a drop-waist dress and a Marcel Wave hairstyle, hallmarks of the flapper era of the 1920s. The photograph is about the size of a postcard, but was printed on plain photo paper, rather than postcard stock. It came to me from a dealer in Pennsylvania who often sells photos... Continue Reading →
This small tintype portrays an unusual subject for early photography: a standing woman appears poised to brush the hair of a seated woman, who has a comb and other items in her lap. The standing woman is looking down and is slightly out of focus, while the seated woman is looking in the general direction... Continue Reading →
Have you heard the term spinner's weasel? I hadn't until a few days ago, when I started researching the photo above. The photo is slightly smaller than a cabinet card and more square. I would tentatively date it to around 1905 (+/- 10 years). On the back, a previous owner wrote the word Shaker, referring... Continue Reading →
This large-format photograph came to me from the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, it has nothing written on it and I haven't identified anyone in it. Hanging high on the wall is a shield with a crown on it. Would the crown indicate a royal household? I've brightened it below to make it a little easier to... Continue Reading →
With cold weather approaching, it might be a good time to consider updating your winter wardrobe. You might take inspiration, for example, from this fashionable winter ensemble from Chambéry, a city in eastern France and the historical capital of the Savoy region. While we don't know the identity of the young lady who is so... Continue Reading →
If only we could see the colors of her dress! She must have made it to attract attention to her cause. Her hat has words sewn on it -- I can read LITTLE and HELPS -- so it may read EVEN A LITTLE HELPS. She's holding a donation box with words printed above a cross... Continue Reading →
The woman in this carte-de-visite portrait isn't identified anywhere on the photo. When I bought it last year, I never expected to learn her identity. Three weeks ago, while browsing the website of Britain's Royal Collection Trust, I noticed a woman who looked very familiar. The first thing that drew my attention was her shawl,... Continue Reading →
The Soviet Union (USSR) formally came into existence on December 30, 1922, after three years of world war and five years of civil war. When this photo was taken, sometime in 1933, the country had existed a little more than ten years. On the back is the following note in Russian: Собрание уполномоченных артели "Кр.... Continue Reading →
Tokens of Companionship 
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