Do you ever stop to consider how serious life was for our ancestors?  No indoor plumbing or electricity, no advanced medicine or penicillin, no dental programs, no refrigeration, no telephones - these are just a few reasons why life was so extraordinarily hard for our forefathers and mothers.

Up until the early 1900's the infant mortality rate was horrifically high.  The average life span was less than 50 years and devastating farm accidents were a way of life.  All in all, I guess there really wasn't much to laugh about.

Most of the old black and white photographs that have survived show somber people who appear to be serious and pensive.

There are many opinions on why people weren't smiling in antique

photos - the embarrassment of poor dental care, the seriousness of sitting

for a photographer, and even the shutter speed of the old cameras required

that subjects remain perfectly still.

But one of the main reasons why people didn't smile was because

the prevailing opinion of the 19th century upper class was that public

laughing and smiling was a sign of 'low character and theatricals'. 

Today we're going to see some very unusual antique

photographs - of people smiling and even laughing.

The top photo of Abraham Lincoln is the

one most commonly used by historians:

In the bottom photo he looks bemused and is almost

smiling.  It wasn't considered "Presidential enough."

This photo of Queen Victoria, taken in 1860, is

typical of the types of poses that were published:

And here is one of the rarest pictures 

of Queen Victoria ever published:

I think the date of the copyright

under her bouquet is Feb. 15, 1893.

I guess those are the names of the Geschaff children printed on

the lower right hand side of the photo.  The shy smile of the

little boy on the right is adorable.

It's heartening to know that people

in the 19th century valued their pets.

One sister is taking the photography session very serious

and the cutie on the left was probably giggling.

This matron appears to be suppressing a smile:

This photo would probably fall under the category of theatrical:

The photographer captured a relaxed moment for recent nursing graduates:

I'm sure the official picture was much more rigid and solemn.

A young European mother looks proud of her boys:

Little boys wore dresses until they were 2 or 3 years old.  This

little fellow looks tentative but happy to be holding his kitten.

Traveling photographers stopped at farm houses and gave people who

lived outside big cities the opportunity to have their likeness captured

for posterity.  Most sittings were outdoors if the weather was fair.

Twins?  These darling girls look happy
and healthy.  Love those cat-head hair bows!

Here is an extremely rare glimpse of a
photography sitting of a 19th century couple: 

The man must of teased his wife and it was
captured by the photographer.  I hope her cameo
was handed down to one of her granddaughters.

Today's post shows a different side of Victorian life that is rarely
portrayed in photographs.  It's nice to know that despite the
difficulties of the period a few happy moments were captured.