A Rare Smile Captured in a 19th Century Photograph | Open Culture
I wrote a while back aboutone of my favourite photographsbut this might just give it a run for its money.
It was only near the end of the 19th century that shutter speeds improved, as did emulsions, meaning that spontaneous moments could be captured. Still, smiling was not part of many cultures. It could be seen as unseemly or undignified, and many people rarely sat for photos anyway.
