Brass/Copper locket? Info please...

I was given this by a man I was speaking to online about a few basic vintage pieces of jewelry nothing special....and this cane in the mail when I got my package today....seems more like a box than a locket....and why does this woman in the picture look so unhappy? Forgive me for not knowing..... but was this type of locket used to store things in other than pictures since it is thicker?

 

if that's a gal........she looks like a fella !!

It may be missing glass on the other side to hold hair........or not ?

 

It could have been a pill box also.. and it looks like gold filled to me...

 

A pretty locket, very thinly rose gold plated brass, late 19th century. A lot of the gold has worn off, it was probably worn daily.
Goldfilled would have had a much thicker layer of gold.

She doesn't look unhappy to me, just serious. Having your portrait taken was serious business in those days.

 

Agree with AJ !! .. .. Joy.

 

1890s - early 1900s Rolled gold locket.

Condition is very poor, so value is minimal.
Agreed that it most likely had another glass that is now missing. Also agree that it probably held a lock of hair.

It is a woman, as you can see her hair is piled high on her head.

 

As to the long face, back then pictures had long exposure times. You couldn't smile without ending up looking like it was a death grin.

 

In a pre-cosmetic dentistry age, many people had unattractive teeth and weren't keen to display them. In addition, among a certain class of people, smiling was considered "common."

Debora

 

Also, "back then" in a pre-cosmetic dentistry age, many people had unattractive teeth. If you examine old paintings and photographs, smiles are uncommon for that reason.

Debora

 

Bit of a stutter there!

Debora

 

Or just old age, we tend to repeat things more often.

 

Uh oh I actually contacted him to see if he wanted it back since I assumed it was a family member and it may be sentimental and he actually said it’s his GRANDFATHER! I thought it was a woman because the hair is piled up? Oops

 

Ooops ???

PHEW !!!!
Y'all were sayin it's a gal.....but I didn't see that !
Now as for a pretty gal.....yer new avatar........ that's what I see !!

Right ..........????

 

Oh boy lol ty