(2) Tintypes, Couple Questions: Opinions

Hello Everyone,

First Tintype is of a lady with a plant and a book.
Does this signify anything? I thought arborist or studying plants, however my significant other does not agree because the plant is so common. (Which totally makes sense)

Opinions?


2nd Tintype is this lovely young girl with a pistol.

She looks to have some sort of bracelet on her arm, but it looks odd to me.
I guess my eyes are seeing a card holder (up the sleeve type thing) but maybe I'm
just seeing what I want to see! haha

Opinions?


Thanks in advance as always!
Scantic

 

1. "Arborist" only deals in trees. But that is one spectacular begonia she's admiring and it could be that she actually grew it. Prize winner! Could be a botanist or plant breeder. Or maybe just a talented amateur. But having the printed material too, does make me think she's a professional. Does it look to you like there's a whole pile of books in her lap?

2. You sure that's a woman and not a boy dressed up as one? A lot of the jewelry and other frou frou that doesn't seem to go with the rest of "her" costume. 2 bracelets, watch on necklace chain, the flowers? pinned to the blouse, the feather in the hat (man's style.) Yet I see no earrings. And why oh why have a pistol? I don't get it.

 

2. I concur with Bakers...

 

Hahaha Awww darn it! I knew I got it wrong! Botanist! I think it's maybe one or two books at most. With the top one being open.


I believe it is a woman, only because the front curls of her hair under the hat are quite long. I'm not sure if it's a watch or a large locket around her/his neck.

To be honest, I did not even notice she had the derringer revolver till I got home and looked at it under the light! lol

 

Well, boys have curly hair too.

 

True! But it seems as they are large curls, especially around her temple. Also she is wearing a ring on her pointer finger which I find interesting.

 

Am I the only one who, when looking at the first photograph (of the seated woman) sees half of a face peering out from behind her back? I see semi-long straggly wavy hair and one really large eye with a "blackened" eye socket, a cheekbone, and a forehead up toward her shoulder????

 

Oh my, you are not alone, yourturn!

Ah, that ring. I wasn't sure whether that was actually a ring or what. I'm sure you can see it better in person, Scantic.

 

That's a animal pelt throw behind her. You don't suppose it the animal's head, do you?

 

Lol I didn't even see that!!! haha

 

Close up of the weapon if anyone can tell what type of Derringer it is..?

 

Close up of Animal Head?

 

Head turned to the side? With a slightly open mouth and a "button" nose? That is really bizarre.

 

I'm not trying to be rude or nasty, but sometimes I think we tend to attach too much symbolism and/or importance to these older photos. For instance, the first one here could just be a case of the studio photographer saying "You want to sit on the bear skin or the tapestry rug, we have a table with a vase or a my mothers huge begonia as a side balance, oh, and here, did you bring your embroidery or do you want to hold my sketch book in your lap?" "Nice, madam, now just a bit to the left and we have a perfect composition! Your cousin in Des Moines will think you are an accomplished, elegant lady of the world."

And the second one just wore her "best skirt and waist" with all the jewelry she owned and carried the derringer because she was THE crack shot of the Ladies Baptist Shooting and Archery Club, AND because her mother told her NOT to have it in the photo................................................


In all seriousness, do you think that in a century someone will look at a photo of you and your kids and speculate that you must have been animal activists and botanists because there is a kitten and a house plant in the photo? Or that photo of you in leg warmers (because they were SO fashionable) and deduce that you were a Broadway chorus dancer?

 

I would say normally you are right. But why have her grab the plant? It's an unnatural pose. I took Advanced Photography Projects & about 6 other Photography courses in college, I can't think of why a portrait would be taken on such an angle and why he would have her hold the pot. It's unnatural. And it's not quality composition.

The second girl I have no clue about.

 

Which could be the result of a poor photographer as artist more than anything else!

PS I wish to stress that I am NOT being argumentative or confrontational, just looking at an alternative viewpoint

 

I guess I never thought of it that way. I see so many tintypes of men with saws described as occupational etc. when in fact they could just be posing with a saw because the photographer was like, here hold this.

 

Myriad times I have heard people say things such as "I marched right back to Sears and told them I wasn't paying for those portraits! Why the hell did they give my kid a clown doll to hold? She HATES clowns".............and how many people do I know who had their Annual portraits taken holding a test tube while wearing a lab coat and are now working at the RSPCA?

And I suspect that the woman in your first photo spent decades explaining to her grandchildren that she has no idea WHAT the huge green thing was or why she looked like it was her lifeline to the Triffads.....................

 

First woman is thinking:
"Thank goodness for the plant stand or that stupid cat would be pushing me off the seat. Darn, I'm dropping this heavy old book! Last time I come to this photographer."

2. I don't think that is a derringer. Looks more like a revolver.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derringer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver

 

I grew up around guns, learned to shoot while a bitty sprog and still can't tell you the difference between a .22 and a howitzer........sorry if I misspoke about the gun!!!!