Response to Film of the 1930s

I purchased a book today with photographs by Stieglitz and others which has pics from years 1906 thru 1917 and the thing that really stands out when considering your question is the limited DOF. Foreground elements are in focus but the backgrounds seem out of focus and quite grainy (note this is from cheap printing - it was a cheap book! so relavence may be minimal!) Another aspect, which I have previously noticed in some vey old portraits hanging on my Grandmothers walls, is the range of tones seems limited. Sure there are black and whites, but in between doesn't seem gradual between the two. My pinhole camera takes very old looking pictures, maybe thats a possibility.

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