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John Young
Joined: 30 Aug 2005 |
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Location: Lower Sheering, Essex |
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:13 pm |
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Fashions and hairstyles change but some faces stay the same.
Here are the officers of the 1st/24th photographed in Gibraltar.
This photograph was taken after March 1872 when, as Martin points out above, Cavaye had joined the battalion, but prior to March 1873 as R. R. Corcor is in the photograph very much alive.
Officers 1st/24th, Gibraltar, 1872.
I recall David Jackson telling me he thought officer seated inbetween Glyn and Dunbar was the last of the Sikh War officers serving with the regiment.
Scorer,
On your point about the sullen faces, a thought occurred me maybe it was an anniversary. Glyn was promoted to Lt.-Colonel on 13th February 1867, yet he appears in the first photograph still as a Major, maybe, just maybe it was taken exactly a month earlier on 13th January 1867...
John Y.
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Peter Ewart
Joined: 31 Aug 2005 |
Posts: 1797 |
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England. |
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:30 pm |
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Scorer
The reason why so many Victorian photographs (particularly of this fairly early period, the 1860s or '70s) look so stilted or posed, and the subjects so stern-looking, is the long exposure time required to take the picture.
The subjects had to hold their pose and expression for a very long time - which is why portrait photographers used a clamp to grip the neck of the subject from behind when taking a picture in their studio. Keeping absolutely still for such a length of time (I forget how many seconds during that period but can look it up) as well as holding their facial expression, was essential to avoid blurring the photo. This is why one sometimes sees one individual blurred in a group - he/she couldn't wait any longer before twitching or moving! With an individual portrait it didn't matter (so much) as it could be taken again, but a large group often contains a blurred figure or two, as they'd be all day if they waited for everyone to be perfect.
If you look at John's later group picture (terrific photo, John) you'll see they all look just as grim - every face set tight, after spending ages arranging the configuration of the group & the "studied nonchalance" effect with all facing different ways as usual. In fact, the poses they have all adopted in the Malta snap are very informal, as usual - lounging and slouching deliberately casually in their chairs and the odd pipe drooping from beneath a moustache.
The portraits Alan has displayed here were all taken from studio photos - little cartes de visites of the 1870s. All fairly stern looking as usual. When exposure times became quicker or individuals acquired their own cameras (1890s onwards) they had been grimacing so habitually they never thought to smile for another generation or so! In fact, when you think of it, the average professional studio portrait of any individual did not really contain a smile until well after the last war.
Photographic portraiture was gradually taking over from painted portraits - for those who could afford such - and for centuries a fixed expression rather than a smile had been customary.
Peter
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