In the old days the exposure time was so long that they had to remain without any motion, in order for the picture not to blur. So it was a grueling thing to get the picture taken Ron > [Original Message] > From: <ladarlak@aol.com> > To: <TXWISE@rootsweb.com> > Date: 4/10/2009 8:57:46 AM > Subject: [TXWISE] Long faces in photos--FYI > > Why the Long Faces in Old Photos? Posted by Maureen Every so often I bump into a 19th century photo in which the subjects are grinning. It's a rare event. Occasionally, you see a Mona Lisa smile, but it's difficult to locate an image from the 19th century where folks actually showed teeth the way we do today. So, you're probably wondering���why the long face in most pictures? In the beginning, I imagine that sitters were nervous in front of the camera. It was new, and having your picture taken was an uncomfortable procedure. Look closely at your early photographs and see if you can spot a posing device such as a wooden stand behind the subjects' feet. This device sometimes extended as far up as the head and had clamps around a person's waist or head to keep him still for the long exposure time. Would you feel like smiling? In this 1870s tintype, you can see a chair with the adjustable back. This man holds the the chair back, but if you look closely at his feet, you can see a wooden brace stand. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TXWISE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message