I visited a museum on a road trip last fall. It had been some time since I had been to one, so I took my time and enjoyed myself.
Two photography exhibits were on display: one of current, colorful photographs of people interacting with nature. The second exhibit was of historical figures from American history.
It was hard not to notice the contrast in the images. It was more than just the colorful images printed on metallic paper, which enhanced the natural beauty and colorful outfits captured by the photographer.
The second set of photographs, using chemistry and photosensitive negatives, offered a glimpse into the past. One thing I noted is how differently the people were presented.
In modern photos, people are smiling and expressing emotions. Historical images feature stern-faced people sitting for a photograph.
That got me thinking: Why did people in older photos never smile? The common belief is that the photographs of yore were captured with such long exposures that they had to sit frozen in time. But I wondered if that was all there was to it.
Thanks to the power of the Internet, I found an article on Upworthy that explored the subject in greater depth and provided additional historical context.
It helped fill in the gaps and provide more historical information than I had before reading it.
