Girl with a Goldfish Bowl

 

Those big puffy sleeves were quite the rage in the "olden days"! As I mentioned before, I was inspired by Utamaro's woodblock print with the geisha holding a gold fish bowl. Once I composed this portrait, I thought what better background than an ancient sea map. I may have to pursue this further, since another one of my collections, in addition to cabinet cards, is vintage maritime maps and charts.

Poppy Tie Lady in Color

Here she is in water color with her fashionable totally modern tie. Yesterday I wondered if photo retouching was done in the nineteenth century. (in other words, was there life before Photoshop?). And the answer is, yes indeed.  Apparently it could be a hellish process!

Here's a quote from the British Journal of Photography dated November 9th, 1894, describing the working conditions of retouchers:

"Sir - ... I should like to inform you that there is a photographic establishment wherein the employés labour under difficulties quite as great as those described by the 'depressed and low-spirited assistant, who so frequently requires the stimulus of 'a cup of tea'. In a room measuring about 11 ft long by 6 ft wide, and varying from 8 to 10 ft in height, seven retouchers and spotters have to work. Three walls and the roof are of glass, rendering it necessary for the retouchers to keep their heads entirely covered with black cloth, besides making it very difficult to spot, as the light comes from so many different directions. In the winter, the room (which would otherwise be intensely cold) is heated by a gas stove, which renders the atmosphere unbearable. Another interesting fact from the employé's point of view is that the proprietor of the concern sits at a another desk in an adjoining room, having full view of the seven assistants, so that, though they may faint in the fumes of the gas or shiver in the cold, they have not a moment's respite from their arduous employment. ... [Signed: HYGIENE, Bristol]"

And to think I complain about sitting long hours at my keyboard!

Girl with White Dog

This cabinet card is dated "1927" on the back, in elegant but faded green fountain pen ink. I'm assuming it's a mom and daughter portrait - they even have similar style dresses with the pleated skirt and dropped waistline. The daughter has such an interesting expression on her face, which I can't quite interpret. Is she impatient and annoyed having to stand for her portrait? I think not, judging from the fact that she has taken the time to pose her leg in a fashionable way. Mom is actually smiling, which is very unusual to see in a portrait of that era. I took quite a few liberties with this illustration, didn't I! Artistic license, you know...

Cabinet card lady

I have a collection of cabinet cards that continue to fascinate me. They were very popular in the last part of the nineteenth century, until Kodak came out with their Box Brownie Camera in 1900. At that point, families began taking their own photos instead of relying on professional photography studios, and these intricate and carefully posed scenarios of people and props gradually ceased to exist. I thought it would be fun to translate them using Photoshop (first image) and watercolor (second image).