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Dave Taylor · 08-04-2015, 12:59 PM

I just stumbled across this image from circa 1861 and I'm pretty sure it's my new favorite Victorian era photograph.

[Image: AAA_thayabbo_22665.jpg]

I love how the kid is just like, "No big deal. I'm just posing for a photograph with an owl on my arm. Whatever."

Do any of the rest of you have some Victorian photographs that you enjoy?

Gene C · 08-04-2015, 01:53 PM

Amazing, you've stumbled across Hary Potter's great-great-greatgrandfathers Hogwarts freshman yearbook photo of him with his owl, Wighedge.

RJNorton · 08-04-2015, 02:27 PM

Great photo. Dave, I think that is Abbott H. Thayer.

Thayer is in Wikipedia.

L Verge · 08-04-2015, 06:51 PM

How in the world did you know that, Roger?!?

If anyone would like an owl like that, I have a stuffed one in my basement. When my mother (b. 1914) was very young, she used to visit with her mother's elderly friend who owned said owl. The creature ended up being given to Mom, and it always had a place of honor in the center of the top of our huge upright piano (ca. 1890). I think Mom placed it there deliberately to make sure someone/thing was watching to make sure I did my practice sessions.

When Mom came to live with me, Hooty came too - with the understanding that he could roost in the unfinished part of my basement. He's here to this day.

Several years ago, my house was broken into twice in one week. The first time, only one police officer came and cared less about searching the house. The second time, however, I had three officers who were very thorough in going everywhere in the house. When they reached the basement, I heard a slight disturbance. I asked if they had found someone and could I shoot that person. They replied that they had not found anyone, but that they "almost shot that damned owl."

According to my calculations, Hooty is close to 150 years old. The Victorians were very serious about taxidermy and animal/bird collections, and I have seen some exquisite pieces of cabinetry designed just for displaying such things. My daughter and I have an idea of a nature center that we would like to donate Hooty to, but it's just a matter of approaching them about the donation and getting it to them.

RJNorton · 08-05-2015, 03:37 AM

Laurie, I came across that photo once a few years ago while researching an unrelated question from a student.

Susan Higginbotham · 08-05-2015, 01:10 PM

I started collecting photographs from this era about six months ago. I have many favorites (including the unidentified lady in my profile picture, from a studio in Frederick, Maryland), but here are two:

This is an ambrotype of an unidentified lady. As a wearer of glasses, I can't resist a fellow spectacles-wearer:

This is Nina Evans, who lived in Washington, D.C. before and after the war. (Her family spent the war years in Philadelphia.) One thing I like to do is trace the identified subjects in the photos I have, and I found that Nina (who married a man called Bartram Zevely and ended up living in Colorado) was a cousin of Admiral "Fighting Bob" Evans, and a sister of Matilda Coxe Stevenson, an early female anthropologist. Nina's father, Alexander Evans, was a lawyer who also headed the Associated Press for a while.

Dave Taylor · 08-05-2015, 01:51 PM

I'm sure the 19th century fashionistas will correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the lady with glasses have a bit of a "plunging neckline" for the era? I'm not used to seeing that much neck and skin in old photos.

Jim Garrett · 08-05-2015, 02:36 PM

Hey Laurie:

If you need a home for Hooty, I will oblige.

Eva Elisabeth · (This post was last modified: 08-05-2015 04:21 PM by Eva Elisabeth.)

Don't forget to wash your hands after petting Hooty, Jim, because of the arsenic used for taxidermy until the 1990s.

(08-05-2015 01:51 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote: I'm sure the 19th century fashionistas will correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the lady with glasses have a bit of a "plunging neckline" for the era? I'm not used to seeing that much neck and skin in old photos.

Not sure what you mean, Dave, but this lady shows even more skin of that area:
http://www.history.com/images/media/slid...rytodd.jpg

RJNorton · 08-05-2015, 04:29 PM

(08-05-2015 04:10 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: Not sure what you mean, Dave, but this lady shows even more skin of that area

Describing a circumstance which occurred prior to an 1862 White House reception, Elizabeth Keckly wrote:

"I arranged Mrs. Lincoln's hair, then assisted her to dress. Her dress was white satin, trimmed with black lace. The trail was very long, and as she swept through the room, Mr. Lincoln was standing with his back to the fire, his hands behind him, and his eyes on the carpet. His face wore a thoughtful, solemn look. The rustling of the satin dress attracted his attention. He looked at it a few moments; then, in his quaint, quiet way remarked:

"Whew! Our cat has a long tail tonight."

Mrs. Lincoln did not reply. The President asked: "Mother, it is my opinion, if some of that tail was nearer the head, it would be in a better style;" and he glanced at her bare arms and neck. She had a beautiful neck and arm, and low dresses were becoming to her. She turned away with a look of offended dignity, and presently took the President's arm, and both went down-stairs to their guests, leaving me alone..."

Gene C · (This post was last modified: 03-21-2017 12:21 PM by Gene C.)

I've always been a bit partial to this one of a young lady having a bad hare day
http://www.dailyartfixx.com/wp-content/u...-louie.jpg

Eva Elisabeth · 08-05-2015, 04:36 PM

Which one, Gene?

L Verge · (This post was last modified: 08-05-2015 04:57 PM by L Verge.)

(08-05-2015 02:36 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote: Hey Laurie:

If you need a home for Hooty, I will oblige.

Dave Taylor beat you with an offer. I will discuss his (Hooty's) future with my daughter and grandson, and Dave will get first dibs if they agree. Frankly, I can't imagine life without Hooty somewhere looking over me. But, he's hell to dust!

(08-05-2015 04:29 PM)RJNorton Wrote:
(08-05-2015 04:10 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: Not sure what you mean, Dave, but this lady shows even more skin of that area

Describing a circumstance which occurred prior to an 1862 White House reception, Elizabeth Keckly wrote:

"I arranged Mrs. Lincoln's hair, then assisted her to dress. Her dress was white satin, trimmed with black lace. The trail was very long, and as she swept through the room, Mr. Lincoln was standing with his back to the fire, his hands behind him, and his eyes on the carpet. His face wore a thoughtful, solemn look. The rustling of the satin dress attracted his attention. He looked at it a few moments; then, in his quaint, quiet way remarked:

"Whew! Our cat has a long tail tonight."

Mrs. Lincoln did not reply. The President asked: "Mother, it is my opinion, if some of that tail was nearer the head, it would be in a better style;" and he glanced at her bare arms and neck. She had a beautiful neck and arm, and low dresses were becoming to her. She turned away with a look of offended dignity, and presently took the President's arm, and both went down-stairs to their guests, leaving me alone..."

Mrs. Lincoln's display of cleavage was perfectly acceptable because she was in a ball gown. As for the lady in spectacles, I would bet it is a hot summer's day.

BettyO · 08-05-2015, 05:11 PM

As a former equestrianne, I love images of ladies in riding habits. This "hard case" image; i.e. Ambrotype is in my collection and depicts a young lady in her riding habit circa 1850s -

Susan Higginbotham · 08-05-2015, 06:17 PM

I think the lady with spectacles is probably from the 1850's, when I think necklines on everyday (non-ball-gown) dresses were somewhat lower than in the 1860's.