And no wonder. God, what a fabulous photo!! What what what can the backstory be?!? I greatly fear it's something mundane like, the Young Master got a daguerrotype machine for his birthday and for weeks thereafter tormented the servants with it, even dragging the scullery maid into the hall, in reckless disregard of her lice, and forcing her to hold the prize laying hen whilst he preserved the moment for posterity. Interrupted while beating rugs in the yard, she was less than thrilled at being recorded in anything but her Sunday smock and stockings, but his impetuousness would not be denied, so she submitted to the camera's scrutiny with bitterness and resignation, knowing that future observers would think her backward and unwashed. As indeed she was.
Only much later did he grasp the cosmetic potential of grooming his subjects before posing them. And of slipping them a copper or two to induce a smile. But by then, his daguerrotype machine was at the bottom of the millpond.
I hope you noticed (as I only just did) that this photo was taken in Swanton, Vermont. The toll our long winters take on the psyche is hard for flatlanders to comprehend... Now where did I put that chicken...?
I think you have hit the nail there Constance.Apparently there was a fashion for character photos so photographers would grab any local color from the street ,snap them and throw them out before the lice had time to jump.I have a nice one of gypsy girl with a dog.I would love to claim I posted it because it was taken in Vermont but its just kismet .
3 Comments:
And no wonder. God, what a fabulous photo!! What what what can the backstory be?!? I greatly fear it's something mundane like, the Young Master got a daguerrotype machine for his birthday and for weeks thereafter tormented the servants with it, even dragging the scullery maid into the hall, in reckless disregard of her lice, and forcing her to hold the prize laying hen whilst he preserved the moment for posterity. Interrupted while beating rugs in the yard, she was less than thrilled at being recorded in anything but her Sunday smock and stockings, but his impetuousness would not be denied, so she submitted to the camera's scrutiny with bitterness and resignation, knowing that future observers would think her backward and unwashed. As indeed she was.
Only much later did he grasp the cosmetic potential of grooming his subjects before posing them. And of slipping them a copper or two to induce a smile. But by then, his daguerrotype machine was at the bottom of the millpond.
I hope you noticed (as I only just did) that this photo was taken in Swanton, Vermont. The toll our long winters take on the psyche is hard for flatlanders to comprehend... Now where did I put that chicken...?
I think you have hit the nail there Constance.Apparently there was a fashion for character photos so photographers would grab any local color from the street ,snap them and throw them out before the lice had time to jump.I have a nice one of gypsy girl with a dog.I would love to claim I posted it because it was taken in Vermont but its just kismet .
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