4 May 2010

Photo of a man born in 1746

Looking through my old photos I found this today. This appeared in a newspaper some years ago and it shows a man who was 102yrs old when the photo was taken in 1848. This means he was born in 1746, 10 years before Mozart was born and was a middle aged man when the Bastille was stormed in Paris. The calotype photo was taken by William Collie who I believe was a photographer on Jersey in the Channel Islands. See also http://www.all-art.org/history658_photography5-2.html
at 13:50
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5 comments:

Dick said...

I am fascinated by 19th century photographs. If this photo was taken in 1848, 22 years after the commonly accepted ""first" (the Parisian having his boots cleaned), it is incredible that both subjects managed to remain so still for the very long time exposure required. He looks like a jolly and youthful 102 year-old.

Tue May 04, 02:13:00 pm GMT+1
Roger G3XBM said...

Clearly I have no idea if this information is correct but he was certainly VERY old when the photo was taken. I think the picture was either in The Times or the Telegraph some time in the 1980s?

Tue May 04, 02:21:00 pm GMT+1
K2DSL - David said...

My in-laws have old photos on the walls at their house. No one is ever smiling in the pictures so it is interesting to see the elderly man smiling in this one. At least that is what he appears to be doing. In the older pictures, young boys often wore what we'd call skirts today. Interesting pic though - thanks for sharing.

Tue May 04, 04:13:00 pm GMT+1
Dick said...

Hi David. The reason they didn't smile was the exposure time factor. Easier to maintain a serouis demeanor than a wide grin. Also, subjects had a neck brace to keep their heads from moving. Exposure time again.

Tue May 04, 10:28:00 pm GMT+1
John AE5X said...

What timing...I recently found a book I'd been searching for for ages, "Last Men of the Revolution". In 1864, the writer/photographer went on a search of those few American veterans still alive in order to photograph and interview them. They are all in the book with full page photos of the men now in their 80's and 90's. Probably only a dozen or so of them. At this time, the Civil War was in full swing and the old vets freely expresed their opinion of it.

Here's another copy for sale of this awesome piece of history:
http://www.williamreesecompany.com/shop/reeseco/WRCAM40228.html

Wed May 05, 02:35:00 am GMT+1

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