19th century portraits rarely had smiles. This is partly because when photography was young exposures could take up to 45 minutes. A long time to sit still. And partly because smiling for a photo back then was thought to be undignified.
According to the Smithsonian her name is O‑o-be’. She was a member of the Kiowa tribe in the Oklahoma Territory, and the photo was taken in 1894. I love this portrait. Her smile makes me smile 🙂
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Morbidly fun fact: Most photographs back in the 19th and early 20th Century were photographs of the deceased, paired next to their living loved ones.
In those days, cameras didn't have a snap shutter, so the subject being photographed had to be perfectly still, which made the deceased the easiest to photograph.
Also in those days, photographing deceased family members next to living ones was a way for families to grieve.
@rinkydinkydoink So it seems! Customs of long ago allowing the living to look at the image and imagine the possiblities their deceased loved-one might have enjoyed. Bitter-sweet.
