Art Heroes - Southworth & Hawes Photography

Some of the most inspiring (and oldest) photography was done by the photography firm of Southworth & Hawes  ( Albert Sands Southworth (1811–1894) and Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808–1901).  They were primary active between from 1843-1863 in Boston.

These guys really amaze me. I love the way they arrange their subjects. The sitters seem a lot more real then most of the Victorian photography I've seen before. They photographed some of the most famous people of the time including Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Daniel Webster. But the daguerreotypes that really stand out for me are the everyday people...the "unidentified" people.

Unidentified Child, circa 1850
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Family, 1849

"The artist, even in photography, must go beyond discovery and the knowlege of facts; he must create and invent truths and produce new developments of facts. "
--A.S. Southworth, 1870
Death of Pain (first public administered Ether anesthesia)1847


 
Rollin Heber Neal



Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1857




Alice Mary Hawes, 1852


"Learn to look and see the difference under different lights in the same faces. Learn to see the fine points in every face, for the plainest faces in the world are human faces, belonging to human beings... "
--A. S. Southworth, 1873
Unidentified Girl with Ringlets, circa 1850's
Unidentified Woman, circa 1850
Unidentified Dead Child, Circa 1855



"In the nice production of light and shade which is the perfection of modelling, the Daguerreotype will be found to surpass the Artist's best efforts, being capable of representing independently, action, expression, and character to a great extent; and in some instances approaches very nearly, if it does not equal these higher branches, thus developing beauty in grace of motion and in repose, which is the first object and the supreme law of all Art."
--A.S. Southworth, 1855

Two Women Posed with a Chair, ca. 1850 
Unidentified Woman, 1852
Laura Bridgman, 1855

Winchester Family Tomb, Mount Auburn Cemetery, circa 1853

Unidentified Girl, 1850
Winter Portrait with Fur Coat and Gloves



Unidentified Child, 1850

Of course this is only a tiny bit of work by Southwork & Hawes. You can find more in the book, "Young America: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes. You can also see more Photographs in this flickr set from the George Eastman House.

I hope these daguerreotypes have inspired you as much as they inspire me. 

Now, I'm off to work on a custom portrait...




Creepy Vintage Halloween Masks are here!

It is that time of year again. The time to look back at all the scary covered faces of yesteryear. I love these things. The more handmade the better. There is just something so right about all the awkwardness of these costumes. They feel real. They feel genuine. They feel good.

I did include some pretty ones too. I always attempt a really pretty mask/costume every year but they seem to end up being more of a wabi sabi finish. But that is OK right? It is just Halloween. So get out there, make what you can and have tons of fun.

Little wicked Witch via tissueclouds


Clara Bow and a scary clown mask via Carbonated
Love the laughing girl via izismile.com
Ok so this not a vintage one but isn't this Owl mask from Martha Stewart perfect?
Love this Bird make via Costumerism
Creepy kids via Shorpy




Which animal is this? via thanatosdotnet
Black or white circa 1911 via shorpy
Amazing Victorian Mask/Hat via VintageGal
Classic Skeleton...done extra creepy style...via Carbonated
What will you be this year?

Beautiful Animation...Descendants

After spending the last couple of weekends in the woods, I really appreciate this wonderful animation, Descendants, I came across on ImageMakers. I love the emotions really good story can bring up. Enjoy. And thank you, Heiko Van der Scherm & Patrick S. Cunningham for creating it. I love the creepyness of it.  More about the making of it here.


Descendants on Vimeo.