Why Collect Old Photos?

If you’ve browsed an antique shop, you’ve most likely noticed the old photos in boxes, stacked in corners. You’ve also most likely been drawn to one or two, wondering where the place is or who are those people. You may have even commented on their attire or the sternness in their expression. The article connected to the following quote is a very easy and interesting read.

The People Who Collect Strangers’ Memories

In gathering old photographs of daily life, family scenes, and illness, hobbyists get an intimate view into past lives.

from The ATlantic
photo that looks like an old school building c. 1906
c. 1906 – looks like an old school building

There are many reasons old photographs are collected. Some folks are looking for certain locations while others may be collecting a category, say, a particular advertising, old motorcycles, vintage farm photos, portraits. You name it, someone’s collecting it.

But we’re most assuredly pulled into wondering about the story behind the photo.

photo of a Farrell Auto Co. advertising BUICK
Farrell Auto Co. photo advertising BUICK
vintage photos of people
Vintage photos – don’t you wonder about who they are?

What To Do With The Found Vintage Photos You Love

Feeling crafty? This article gives some great ways to incorporate those vintage photos into your decor. CLICK HERE for the article from salvagedliving.com

TINTYPES

Tintypes

We also have a few tintypes in our store. Do you know what “tintypes” are?

tintype, also known as a melainotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as the support for the photographic emulsion. Tintypes enjoyed their widest use during the 1860s and 1870s, but lesser use of the medium persisted into the early 20th century and it has been revived as a novelty and fine art form in the 21st.

from wikipedia

It might also be of interest to you to learn why tintypes are so special.

Tintypes are a very early type of antique photograph dating back to the late 19th century. 

… There is no negative in the tintype process, making each one a rare, one-of-a-kind photograph. Tintypes are valuable capsules of history and should only be directly worked on by an archival specialist. Today virtually all tintype images needing restoration are restored digitally on the computer.

from Our EveryDay Life

CLICK HERE for an intriguing article that explains much more about the markings on a tintype and also how to get some clues from the photo. It’s a really interesting piece.

So there you have it. We have vintage photos and a few tintypes. Stop in and see if something catches your fancy or adds to a particular collection you may have. In the meantime, be assured. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!

L.S.M.F.T.
Boy Scout Patches
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