The woman’s dress has a high neckline with a collar made of white lace. Her sleeves are one of the many variations of open sleeves that were so popular in the 1850s; these necessitated undersleeves, which we see here. The woman parted her hair in the middle and fixed it in sausage curls at the back. She accessorized her outfit with a necklace, a cameo brooch, earrings, rings on her fingers, and a metallic belt buckle.
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The fabric seen here is probably silk judging by the sheen. The bodice and sleeves are trimmed with velvet ribbons. The sitter wears her hair parted in the middle with curls one on either side.
Purchased at Briar Patch Antiques, Stonington, CT
The case is made from embossed paper on wood with embossed velvet pad and embossed copper matte.
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The case is embossed paper glued to wood, with an embossed velvet pad and metal matte.
Photo taken in Providence, RI at “Westminster Fine Art Gallery” owned by J. B. Thurston.
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The sheen of the fabric implies that it was made of silk. Velvet covered buttons fasten the bodice at the center front, and they decorate the upper sleeve. Velvet had only recently been produced on power looms, but it quickly made its way into fashionable apparel.
The case is made of embossed cardboard with an embossed velvet pad and an embossed copper matte.
Purchased at auction in Allentown (PA?)
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The focal point is a seated woman holding an infant wearing a white dress. The woman’s dark colored dress has a large amount of fabric in the skirt suggesting that it is a hoop skirt. The bodice has a high neckline with a detachable white collar and brooch. The dropped shoulder creates a curved shoulder silhouette. The sleeve type is a pagoda style worn with plaid undersleeves. The infant’s dress also has a wide skirt.
The popularity of post-mortem photography during the Victorian Age raises the question about the child in this photograph. Is the child deceased? After all, the mother wears dark clothing, possibly because she is in mourning. Babies and young children who had died recently were sometimes photographed in the arms of their mothers. The eyes were sometimes painted onto the photograph to make the child look alive. The photograph was a way to preserve the memory of the child forever. Post-mortem photography was an inexpensive replacement for the mourning portrait of earlier centuries.
References
Joan Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The image itself was placed inside a hinged case with a radially symmetrical floral pattern on the exterior. On the inside, a crimson red and lighter red velvet fabric, protects the photograph.
The subject is posed facing the camera with crossed hands. This relatively simple pose was typical during this era of portrait photography due to the long exposure times photographers needed in order to capture a good, visible image.
References
Beers , J. H. Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island: Genealogical Records and Historical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and of Many of the Old Families, 1908.
Crandall, John Cortland. Elder John Crandall and His Descendants. New Woodstock, N.Y.: The Author, 1949.
Gifford, Paul M. “The Probable Origins and Ancestry of John Crandall, of Westerly, Rhode Island (1618-1676).” Essay. In Rhode Island Roots 32, 4th ed., 32:165–86, 2006.
Lina. “1840s And 1850s Hairstyles.” Sew Historically, February 21, 2019. https://www.sewhistorically.com/1840s-and-1850s-hairstyles/.
Lisson, Lisa. “How to Identify 5 Types of Old Photographs.” Are You My Cousin?, December 21, 2021. https://lisalisson.com/5-types-of-old-photographs/.
“Patience Crandall.” Genealogy. Accessed November 29, 2022.https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Patience_Crandall_%281%29.
“Poses in Photos of the 1800s.” Family Tree, March 19, 2014.https://www.familytree.com/blog/poses-in-photos-of-the-1800s/.
Severa, Joan L. “The 1840s.” Essay. In Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashions, 1840-1899, 1-84. Kent (Ohio): Kent State University Press, 1995.
]]>The woman wears a silk dress decorated with satin and moire stripes. The dress has full sleeves with undersleeves that taper down around the wrists with added lace and white trim on the cuff. Around the neckline is a hand- embroidered collar with a miniature brooch at the center.
The individual is sitting down in a chair allowing her skirt to spread out. Over the course of the century women's skirts became fuller with the help of petticoats and hoops. The waistline of appears to be right above the natural waist.
Hair could be styled in a few very popular different ways, using the natural color hair. As seen in the image, the sitter’s dark-colored hair is arranged in an elegant chignon style also known as a loop style over the ears.
References
Clark, Gary. Dating Ambrotype Photographs, http://www.phototree.com/id_amb.htm.
Heichelbech, Rose. “The Evolution of Ladies' Hemlines over the Past 2 Centuries.” Dusty Old Thing, 3 May 2021, https://dustyoldthing.com/evolution-of-ladies-hemlines/.
Lisa Lisson. “How to Identify 5 Types of Old Photographs.” Are You My Cousin?, 21 Dec. 2021, https://lisalisson.com/5-types-of-old-photographs/.
“Milestones in Photography -- National Geographic.” Photography, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/milestones-photography#:~:text=World's %20First%20Photograph-,Centuries%20of%20advances%20in%20chemistry%20and%20optics%2C%20including%20the%20invention,at%20his%20family's%20country%20home.
Moore, Author Olivia. “1800s Hairstyles: Inspiration & Style Guide.” You Probably Need a Haircut, 20 Aug. 2022, https://youprobablyneedahaircut.com/1800s-hairstyles/.
Plante, Amy. “The History of Cameo Jewelry.” Market Square Jewelers, Market Square Jewelers, 19 Feb. 2019, https://www.marketsquarejewelers.com/blogs/msj-handbook/the-history-of-cameo-jewelry.
]]>Her mother is wearing a gown with an under blouse, a lace collar, and a corset to give her waist form. The sleeves have layered epaulettes just below the shoulders and flare out near the wrist, similar to a pagoda sleeve. The gown has a full skirt, but not a cage crinoline or hoop skirt look, so she wore petticoats underneath. The fabric of the dress has gathers and pleats at the waistline which connect to the v-shaped corset worn under the bust. This boned bodice was often worn to give the appearance of a tiny waist.
Her hair is parted down the middle and pulled back behind her head, which was a very popular styling option for women in this decade. This black-and-white photo had pink blush added to her cheeks to give a more realistic effect. Gold ink is used to make the brooch at her neck, earrings and rings more pronounced and shiny.
References
Alexanders. “Identifying Old Photos by Clothing: 1840s -1850s.” MyCanvas, 3 Oct. 2018. https://mycanvasblog.com/identifying-old-photos-clothing-1840s-1850s/.
Hutton, Emily. “Complete Guide to Different Types of Antique Photographs.” Image Restoration Center, 18 Sept. 2022, https://imagerestorationcenter.com/types-of-antique-photographs/.
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