The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsHere's something that you don't see very often.
A photograph of a 19th century Kiowa with a smile - and a gorgeous smile at that.
A Rare Smile
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)qnr
(16,190 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)I don't know whether that was because getting your picture taken was kind of a big deal then and people were expected to be appropriately solemn and dignified, or because you had to hold still for the exposure and your smile would collapse too easily. All the old photos from my grandparents' era and before then look like they were about to be hanged. This photo is really cute.
qnr
(16,190 posts)Holding a fake smile for many minutes would be very painful, and look, well, fake. In this case, it looks like there was a great light source, so she may not have had to hold it as long.
They were, indeed, solemn occasions.
Lots of them were once in a lifetime occurrences; many times arranged to get a deceased family member memorialized in the photo. Probably didn't want to try to smile too much with the corpse of your relative near you.
malthaussen
(17,216 posts)My opinion is that one was expected to maintain dignity at all times, so smiling would be right out. And no doubt time of exposure would have encouraged that, but that would vary a lot.
-- Mal
progressoid
(49,999 posts)http://publicdomainreview.org/2013/09/18/the-serious-and-the-smirk-the-smile-in-portraiture/
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)qnr
(16,190 posts)Aristus
(66,462 posts)Want to see how beautiful people can be when they smile? Check this out:
(There's one person who obviously distrusted the videographer; ignore her...)