Hand Colored old photos

People who collect nineteenth-century photographs are as diverse as the images themselves. What is valuable to one collector may be worthless to another. These photographs are sold both as antiques and as art. People who are interested in nineteenth century photographs are often interested in the history too. These early images are a ‘sort of’ time machine that gives one the ability to see the people, places, apparel and events of another era. It is like holding history in one’s hands.

Other collectors look at early photography with an artistic eye. They appreciate the use of light, composition, and the posing in the portraits. Many of the early photographs were very posed, stiff and absolutely no smiling allowed.

However, there is a personal appeal to collecting old photographs. Some collectors enjoy Civil War or American Indian photographs; others collect Cabinet Cards or Cartes de Viste portraits. I was taken with the early school photographs dating from 1860 to approximately 1920. The young school children with their “little house on the prairie” outfits, high button shoes, old fashioned hair do’s and ethnic faces showing the “melting pot’ of early America.

I have been taking black & white portraits and hand coloring them for almost 20 years, so I decided to add a bit of color to the old photographs of children, early school classes and elegant young women in high button collars and large hats.

There are three types of collectors – those who collect for the history, those who collect for investment gain or those who collect for the art. New collectors are drawn to the historical and aesthetic aspects of the nineteenth century photographs. I collect for the art and the opportunity to pass on a bit of charm with a little color added.

If you have any early photographs that need restoration or you would like a photograph hand colored, send an e-mail and we can talk about it. Please enjoy and if you have any question please e-mail at lindasolan@verizon.net