Historical Indulgences

ca. 1855, [daguerreotype portrait of a child with a cigar]

via the Cleveland Museum of Art, Photography Collection

ca. 1853, [daguerreotype portrait of Nicholas, Emilie and Alexander DeMenil]

via the Missouri History Museum

ca. 1855, [daguerreotype portrait of a bearded gentleman with leonine coiffure]

via Christopher Wahren Fine Photographs

ca. 1860’s, [carte de visite spirit portrait with Harry Gordon, first American medium credited with levitation], William Mumler

via Photo_History, Flickr

ca. 1858, [portrait of mother and dead child]

via Harvard University, Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Department of Photographs

ca. 1846, [daguerreotype portrait of Lt. George H. Gordon, U. S. Mounted Rifles]

via the Daguerreian Society, William J. Schultz Collection

ca. 1850, “Vieille femme sur son lit de mort”, [elderly woman on her deathbed], Rufus Anson

via the Musée d’Orsay

ca. 1860-70’s, [tintype portrait of a tough-looking gentleman with his Colt 1849 pocket revolver]

via Heritage Auctions

ca. 1902, [Phrenologist Bernard Hollander illustrating with his own head his system of cranial measurements, no. 1 from a panel of 18 photographs], Bernard Hollander

via the Wellcome Library, Iconographic Collections

ca. 1860-1880, [ambrotype portrait two heavily bearded gentlemen in pajama-like costumes and elongated cone hats, possibly clowns]

via Christopher Wahren Fine Photographs

ca. 1882-86, [carte de visite portrait of sideshow performer Ella Harper, “The Camel Girl”], Charles Eisenmann

Handwritten on verso:

“Ella Harper Age 13. Born in Hendersonville, Tenn. I am called the Camel Girl because as you see that my knees turn backwards. I can walk the best on my hands & feet as you see me in this picture. I have traveled considerably in the Show business for the last 4 years. And now as this is 1886, I now intend to quit the Show business and go to school and fit my self for some other occupation.”

via Syracuse University Library, Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs

ca. 1852, [daguerreotype portrait of a chemist at work in his apothecary]

via the George Eastman House Collection, Still Image Archive

(For everyone who’s already seen this post, I hope I’m not annoying you completely! I’ll reblog this a couple times before the end of the giveaway so everyone has a chance to participate if they’d like. Noon tomorrow is the close of the competition!)

In celebration of over three years posting to Historical Indulgences, I’m setting up my very first giveaway. I absolutely love you guys and thought you should know. My first inclination is naturally gratitude via gifts — I figure everyone loves gifts?

However, this giveaway is not going to be the typical reblog sweepstakes, it’s going to be based on the best 19th century photograph, or Ulysses S. Grant related ephemera, posted to Tumblr and submitted to the #Historical Giveaway tag, from the web or your own collection: as long as it’s awesome (—also this is important: images must be sourced, and preferably dated)! You may submit as many photos as you’d like.

Starting today and ending on Grant’s 190th birthday, (Friday, April 27th), at 12pm EST the most interesting photo posted with the #Historical Giveaway tag on Tumblr wins. I’ll reblog my favorite post as the winner that afternoon.

The prize: A copy of “The Daguerreotype: Photography at the Musee D’Orsay” photo book, a print of your choice from Toothsome Prints (featured), and two antique photographs from my collection.

(Source: tuesday-johnson, via tuesday-johnson)

ca. 1850’s, [melancholy daguerreotype portrait of a gentleman holding child], Samuel Broadbent

via the Daguerreian Society, Grant Dinsmore Collection

ca. 1860’s, [portrait of a child with his hidden mother], T. P. Collins

via the KaufmaNelson Vintage Photograph Gallery