Do not copy any of my artwork, poetry or photography without my permission.

Do not copy any of my artwork, poetry or photography without my permission.
....carpe diem. The Daylily. "Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun." Khalil Gibran. She gives her all for just one day then bows her head to God and fades away to nourish the next generation. God I pray I may give my all each day to honor you and bow my head at the end to nourish the next generation. Peggy Jones. NOTE............ Please folks do not copy any of my art or photos on my blog without my permission. Thank you for your good manners.

Blogs full of blessings

Friday, November 23, 2012

Sepia Saturday-Creepy tintype

Sepia Saturday

Old photographs are wonderful aren't they? I know I am preaching to the converted, but isn't it wonderful how an old photograph can send you on a journey : a fascinating journey of discovery. Take our archive image this week which comes from the Samuel Bell Maxey Collection at the Texas State Archives and is available via the wonderful Flickr Commons service. The only information provided is that it is a photograph of  Lala Williams and Elgie Crook, but with just a few Google clicks you can discover that ...... Well, I don't want to spoil the journey for you, so go and click your own Google and take your own journey of discovery.
Alan Burnett





Found this tintype on Flickr Photo Stream belonging to
A Mr. Biggs who collects vintage photos.
He stated
"This is a tintype found at a flea-market. Caption reads 
Tissy and Mary White (Twins) "
 
This is a creepy looking photo, maybe because it is so dark.

As you know folks are able to comment on Flickr Photo streams and several folks mentioned that this reminded them of Arbus.
I knew nothing about Arbus

Well that lead me on another research.




Diane Arbus (play /dˈæn ˈɑrbəs/; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971) was an American photographer and writer noted for black-and-white square photographs of "deviant and marginal people (dwarfs, giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers) or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal.".[2] Diane believed that a camera could be “a little bit cold, a little bit harsh” but its scrutiny revealed the truth; the difference between what people wanted others to see and what they really did see – the flaws.[3] A friend said that Arbus said that she was "afraid . . . that she would be known simply as 'the photographer of freaks'"; however, that phrase has been used repeatedly to describe her.[4][5][6][7]
In 1972, a year after she committed suicide, Arbus became the first American photographer to have photographs displayed at the Venice Biennale.[8] Millions of people viewed traveling exhibitions of her work in 1972–1979.[9][10] Between 2003 and 2006, Arbus and her work were the subjects of another major traveling exhibition, Diane Arbus Revelations.[11] In 2006, the motion picture Fur, starring Nicole Kidman as Arbus, presented a fictional version of her life story.[12]


An Arbus Photo





Go here for more Sepia Saturday.






13 comments:

Peter said...

I had never heard of Diane Arbus. Remarkable pictures, to say the least.

Unknown said...

That photo sure is creepy; those girls look absolutely miserable! it makes you wonder, doesn't it, what their lives were like? I'm an Arbus fan, too!

Bob Scotney said...

The first photo really is creepy; but at least the pair are holding hands. I had not heard of Diane Arbus but will now be looking for more of her work.

Anonymous said...

I think you are right that maybe the photo wouldn't look as creepy if it were lighter. All that blackness and severe hairstyle make them look like big heads and short arms and yes, a little creepy.

21 Wits said...

They are amazing photos, she was quite the interesting photographer. So sad that she took her own life.

Little Nell said...

Thanks for the links Peggy. I'd never heard of Arbus either and I'll definitely be looking out for the Nicole Kidman film as she is one of my favourites.

Postcardy said...

The tintype does have an eery resemblance to that Arbus photo.

Wendy said...

I can see why commenters compared the photo to Arbus. And speaking of Arbus, the Lifetime channel is showing non-stop Christmas movies, one of which is "The Road to Christmas" starring Jennifer Grey. In a brief scene the 2 main characters are discussing great art and great photographers, including Arbus! I had never heard of her until I watched the movie, and now here I'm reading about her in your blog. How strange is that??

Jinksy said...

The only thing I thought was freaky - the way the photographer chose to take the four little girls pictures! Remember , beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if the photographer wasn't 'switched on' enough to see it - well - proves the point!

Anonymous said...

I'd never heard of Diane Arbus either, so thanks for a bit of education! Yes - the photos are definitely a bit...strange

Jana Iverson Last said...

I see from previous posts that I'm not the only one who hasn't heard of Arbus. It almost sounds like she used the camera as a way to criticize people, wanting to accentuate every noticeable flaw. Not my kind of photographer, I must say!

The two little girls in the first photo look quite somber don't they?

Kat Mortensen said...

Well, thanks for the imminent nightmare, QMM! This reminds looks straight out of the film, "The Shining" by Stanley Kubrick. Perhaps, Kubrick was familiar with the Arbus work. I'm betting that he was!

Bruno Laliberté said...

I love Arbus' work as she wasn't afraid to step away from the conventional to embrace the marginal.
:)~
HUGZ