CDV of cute couple…no rings?? Well groomed and sitting in a common pose of the time, with her standing and him sitting. I’m guessing early 70’s. Not much of a bustle on the dress and her hair is certainly styled in a particular manner. Plaid cloth came and went in popularity. With all these details what’s your best guess as to the date of this image? ]]>
Troops training for Spainish-American War. Are they in California or on the eastern seaboard? Can someone help determine where this is? Click on the image to enlarge it. Post your comments, too.
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Very pregnant lady in a checkered dress. This may not have been the most appropriate time for her to have her “shadow caught”, but maybe her husband was away at war and she wanted to share her condition.
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Whether photography is your passion, your hobby, or just an occasional pastime, we invite you to submit a photo to the Dating Old Photos website. Please include a few lines stating what you know about the image or simply how you feel about it.
Selected photos will be displayed on the website. Photos should be submitted in digital format. Digital images can be submitted via e-mail and should be formatted to 72 dpi, no larger than 600 by 450 pixels and no smaller than 300 by 225 pixels. Images should be submitted in JPG (at high quality) or TIFF format. File sizes must be less than 500K per image. Images must be in natural color.
NOTE: Digital images will NOT be returned.
Modifications Not Permitted:
* Do not add borders, frames, watermarks, signatures, or copyright notices.
* Do not add or replace elements in an image.
* Do not use artistic filters.
Permitted Modifications:
* You may crop or rotate images, as necessary, as long as the rectangular format is maintained and the size is within the specifications above.
* You may resize images as long as the aspect ratio is maintained.
Submit images to 
Boat on the Willamette with the Steel Bridge in the background. Is it steam or a one lunger?? Click on picture to enlarge. We invite your comments! Is the name of the boat "Imperial"? Is it a ferry/passenger boat?
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Crayon portraits were popular between 1880 to 1910. You may know them as a domed large photograph in an oval frame with domed glass. The subject, if you have one, would be of your mother or father as a young child or perhaps your grandparents. The effect of a near life size portrait gives a surreal 3D appearance being domed. Most often they were black and white with a charcoaled surface.
It’s amazing how an artist/technician, as the photographer was, will take a technological shortcoming and allow it to be the basis of innovation and art. Such was the case with the crayon portrait photograph. In this photographic style, the inability to greatly enlarge an image caused the print to be pale and not very contrasting. So, our innovative photographer enhanced the early crayon portraits with charcoal crayons and the result was an artist representation on a washed out print! But, it was a thing of beauty and extremely popular.
Early on this inability of contrasted enlargement gave artists opportunities to express their talent. Later in the period of crayon portraits, when contrasted enlargements were technically possible the artists weren’t sent home packing, they had a slightly different task. For one, they added color crayons to their art box. Secondly, they did more work to remove moles, paint in closed eyes and in general concentrated on the cosmetic aspects.
Crayons weren’t the ones we know today, but color pastels. This artist media had another effect on the portrait, it softened the surface of the paper to give a more skin-like appearance. Also, the background was softened with another new innovation, that of the airbrush. Given the fragility of this media the surface of crayon portraits needs protection. The oval glass and frame did more than pretty the work, it protected its surface!
Restoration of damaged crayon portrait photographs is possible and can really bring back the stunning beauty of this old style photography. Check the link to my restoration site if your crayon portrait needs attention.
This distinctive couple find there way to Tom Cronise and get this extrordinary portrait. Cronise was noted for his sense of humor and ability to capture real images of his clients. In general, 99% of portraits are "posed", Cronise's portraits look contemporary, he had the ability to make people loosen up and be themselves. Click to enlarge image and we value any 
Glass negative shows a Dad and his two boys either moving or making a delivery. Are those bags of seed? Isn’t that a wire bed frame? 
At the waters edge a bathing beauty strikes a pose showing her youth, vitality and affection for the photographer. With a name “Lilja Latva” signed boldly in the middle of the back and later, a small and confined signature of “Mrs. Lansen”. Look at her outfit and headband, when was this taken. Click image to enlarge! 1. Store negatives in modern archival papers or plastic. The old paper or plastic sleeves can be very damaging due to chemicals and impurities. Search online for “archival supplies”.
2. Temperature, humidity and light exposure are your worst enemies. Constant changes in heat and humidity may cause the silver particles in film and photos to tarnish. In color photos and negatives the color will fade or alter. Sleeve and box!
3. Safe storage is a room of relatively stable temperature and humidity. Never store precious photos or negatives in the basement, attic or garage.
4. Your photographs and negatives box should be stored about a foot or two above the floor for two reasons; one, high enough above an interior flood and two, low enough to avoid smoke and fire danger. In a fire the difference between the floor and the ceiling can be several hundred degrees.
5. After containing negatives and photographs in mylar sleeves, write with an archival pen any descriptions you may care to include. Use cotton gloves, besides they’re cute and make you look important.
6. If you scan, scan once! Create a master copy and in any future need use the master copy. Backup. Distribute. Share. Disseminate.
7. To clean, use a soft brush. If this doesn’t work, stop. Find a photographic materials conservative and spend money. One improper swipe and there goes the only image of great granny.
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