This photo was stuck in the back of an old portrait frame my father bought at an estate sale. I don't know who the people or the photographer were.

The print itself is on a very thin paper base which is mounted to thick card stock (very yellowed and cracked). It's a contact print--there absolutely no grain evident in the approx. 6.5" by 8.5" image.

I'm not sure if it's apparent in the scan, but the photo was made in the studio--on the original, it's clear that the "room" behind them is just a painted backdrop (notice the edge at the feet of the woman on the left of the photo).

Just thought y'all might enjoy seeing what has changed and what has remained the same over the years.

-- Mike Dixon (burmashave@compuserve.com), April 22, 2000

Answers

What a great artifact (don't know if I'm using that term correctly). Being the computer person in the family, my mom has recently given me the task of doing "something" in the way of preserving a hundred or so old photographs of numerous generations of family. Some date into the 19th century, and all are totally interesting (for me) to look at. I've starting making B&W copy negs/prints. I love old photographs like this. My mom even has some old "tintypes" which are even more interesting. Neato. Thanks for posting that!

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), April 22, 2000.

Even aside from its age as a novelty, that photograph has a quality and tonality that stands alone!

What kind of emulsion was that taken on, I wonder...

-- Edward Kang (ekang@cse.nd.edu), April 24, 2000.