Monday, March 1, 2010

Really Old Images

One of the things we've collected over the years are old photographs. Our collection grew each time we spent our vacations coming here to Maine.




We even have a tin type of a civil war soldier.




Here's one of a horse drawn carriage.





Some of the cases have fine details, like this one that holds a collection of miniature tin types.





This little girl was kept in this lovely case lined with embossed velvet.



This one appears to have a ghostly image, yet it is a daguerreotype, one of the earliest photographic processes. The image is formed by using mercury and silver. When we bought this one, we were told it was the image of a sea captain.






I like this old paper image because the location and date are identified on the back of this card.






For all my Maine readers out there, perhaps these ladies could be your ancestors.




But chances are, they were just here on vacation.

5 comments:

Low Tide High Style said...

I love old photographs and often wonder how photos of people end up in antique stores. It always makes me a little sad that no one wanted these treasured family mementos.

So how wonderful that you and Henri collect them and give them a home! We have a few daguerreotypes of my ancestors with the beautiful cases and velvet interiors, those are my favorite!

Kat :)

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

How nice to have the "instant ancestors". We have many tin types of real ancestors on Don's side of the family - some identified and some not - but they are all precious.

Mickey (Michel) Johnson said...

...i love to look at old photos too. there is a bit of mystery about them...i wonder what they were like...how was their life lived...what challenges did they face and how did they overcome them...how did their lives end...that sort of thing...each picture seems to weave a story in my mind...xo, mickey

Dear Lillie said...

What a wonderful post of such lovely photos of such lovely photos! =) There is something so touching and beautiful about old photos like this! Thanks for sharing them with us!

Gigi Thibodeau said...

Be still my heart. Peaks. My favorite, favorite place. I collect old photos, too. Maybe you and I are long-lost cousins! xo