#vintage photograph

A delightful double portrait of two unknown gentlemen at the turn of the century. The good-looking fellow on the right - he of the delightful curls - looked familiar enough that I wondered if I had seen a picture of him before, but I realise it is only a passing resemblance to the quite memorably handsome chap in the darkest suit here.

A second stunning photograph from Rudolf Lehnert, a more revealing continuation of an open-air yet intimate scene begun here. Though we may wish to peer more closely at the models themselves, the overall composition is expertly done, a fine tableau!

tuesday-johnson:

ca. 1860-90s, [tintype portrait of a man sharing the last of his drink with the other]

viaCapitol Gallery, Ambrotypes & Tintypes

What an endearing scene, whether ‘tis the smile or the tilt of the head the fellow on the right looks so very sweetly grateful for the last drops of the drink they’ve shared, and I do like that pattern on the floor!

vintagehandsomemen:

Nude with Trumpet, taken by Fred Holland Day (1897).

Typical of the extraordinarily lovely scenes composed by F. Holland Day, a young man of truly admirable form sits with easy grace in the raking light, every countour exaggerated by the brightness and deep shadowh, his modesty preserved with a slim ribbon spilling across one thigh. Many of Day’s photographs feature the addition of these distinctive and unusual borders of varying shape; most can never be found in their original full-page format.

Though his pictures are not so explicit or provocative as Galdi who was to follow him into the photographic industry, Plüschow nevertheless incorporated a lot of homoeroticism into his work, aiming to provide something meaninful and beautiful to those gentlemen who preferred gentlemen - we see subtle looks of longing, and hands draped in lingering caress, which could be taken as simple platonic affection to those with a more innocent outlook.
It is worth noting the slight mishap along the left side of the taller fellow here - although exposure times were decreasing rapidly and by the 1890s poses did not have to be held for the intensely uncomfortable and impractical length of time many imagine, the images were still not created quite instantaneously, and we can see the double outline caused by a slight movement while the shutter was open.

And then there were three! I don’t usually include group photographs but how could I possibly leave out the second image, splitting it from the first with which it was created and then kept for so very long. These photos are so intriguing, I wonder what was the connection between the clearly affectionate sitters; why was the third man not included from the beginning; what words were exchanged there in the studio to convince him to join them before the final shot.

Following from a post so unusually serious, let us even out the mood with something entirely frivolous and amusing! This delightful photograph is one of the silliest, sweetest examples from this era that I’ve set eyes on - absolutely adorable, and impossible to look upon without a smile.

At long last, a curious photograph is explained : I have often seen the first presented alone, as a sort of odd Victorian erotica, yet never felt it was intended that way. Reunited with the seldom-seen second photograph which bears the full tale of this man’s remarkable recovery, all is made clear.

JOHN HAMILTON, 1st Del.Vols., aged 19 years, shot accidentally, while on picket duty at Camp Hamilton, Va., and admitted to Hygiea General Hospital the following morning, Nov 10th, 1861, with gunshot fracture of the right thigh, by conical ball, rather above the middle. The bone was considerably comminuted, but finally united at the expiration of five weeks; suppuration and exfoliation kept up with occasionally intermission until June 1862. The wounds were at times dilated with sponge tents to keep them free, constant slight extension was used and some portions of bone were removed from time to time. He was sent home in July ‘61, with the thigh sound and not shortened more than one inch.

(I will just point out that due to a typing error in the original cutting there, he appears to be sent home four months before the injury occurred - shall we presume instead that ought to read July '62!)

“A little something for the Oscar Wilde fans out there: this charming photo of Lord Alfred Douglas was taken at Oxford in 1891.  No wonder Oscar was bowled over…”

(As well as the above picture submitted complete with caption, a dear follower has sent me some definitive information on a previous photograph of Bosie, clearing up a mystery at last - which I have edited to include in the relevant place, here. I thank you for your kind contributions!)

Laurel-wreathed and swathed in pale fabric, this young man poses as the famed Roman emperor Nero, for the camera of Wilhelm von Gloeden in the 1880s.

A lovely little pair of pictures of the same two chaps, and not the first time I’ve seen such indecision over whether to wear or to hold a hat!

Though a great many of Wilhelm von Gloeden’s amateur models were fishermen, we rarely see them photographed with boats; here is a fascinating glimpse of everyday life in the 1890s - a welcome reminder of the reality behind the idyllic scenes of artfully posed Arcadian bliss!

A model of magnificent physical form and presence, though sadly we have neither his name nor that of the photographer who created this striking image - and this other in which he looks even more impressive!

Proud of his muscles - and justly so! - this handsome gent with an admirable moustache stands for a studio photograph, circa 1900.

I remain utterly at a loss to explain what goes on in this tintype photograph! At first I thought the seated fellow was acting the sewing up of a split in the other chap’s trousers, with white paper playing the part of the tear - but then I spotted more paper and a pair of scissors in the kneeling man’s hand.
Any ideas?

Another gorgeous portrait of Vincenzo Galdi by Plüschow, this often-repeated pose perfect to highlight his handsome profile and beautiful neck & jawline, his hair a ruffled mess of curls when let to grow longer.
Beginning his involvement with photography as a model, he went on to become a photographer in his own right, breaking all boundaries between the sensual nude and provocative erotica - see my collected examples of his work here.

The utterly gorgeous Vincenzo Galdi, posing in profile for his mentor Guglielmo Plüschow c1890. We have seen a remarkably similar shot before, just a slight shift in position, his eyes raised a little here and more downcast in the other, and more flowers tucked into his hair - I imagine model and photographer poring over the developed prints, discussing which they preferred.

Two handsome well-dressed chaps circa 1870, posing with the rather unconvincing plaster rocks which seem to have been a staple of every 19th century photographer’s studio.

A dear little double portrait from the turn of the last century. I wonder which of this affectionate pair kept the print safe and sound, never knowing just how many people might look on it and smile, a hundred years later - such a touching look back in time.

A delightful double portrait from 1880s America - whether these handsome chaps are truly outdoors, or in the confines of a well-dressed studio set, I cannot tell, but what a lovely photograph either way!