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Photographs of musicians is a collecting sub-genre in antique photography collecting. This particular group is a strange lot. Odd, awkward expressions. Stiff stature. Of course, this isn't uncommon for the time. However, I've seen enough antique photos to know that these fellows look stiffer and odder than the norm.
Confused about context of this. Did he act in a play? Perhaps Little Miss Muffet? The spiderweb backdrop is intriguing.
I find antique photographs of lower class people quite interesting. They have a Dickensian character that is not found in formal cabinet cards taken in a studio. But, we shouldn't romanticize this. No doubt, this was a hard life. "People's History of the United States" by Zinn comes to mind.
We have also sought out antique photos of women with long hair, preferably really long hair. This one is a nice example, although there are many good ones out there.
Any thoughts as to the context of this photo? I thought it might be an advertisement for a dress that was showcasing the backside.
Photos of minorities are relatively uncommon in photo collecting. You do find them from time to time, but they aren't "run of the mill" like photos of white folk. I can go to an antique store and look through 500 cabinet cards, and I probably won't find a single photo of a minority. So, it's interesting to find these photos when you do find them. This cabinet card from Baltimore shows an Asian man, probably Chinese.
