Weatherly
I always enjoy working with the photography collection, and finding an unusual or unexpected image tends to make my day. The sentiment of the majority of portraits from the late 19th and early 20th centuries could lead you to believe that very few people had fun in those days. With scant smiles and rigid posture, how could they? So, here are some examples from the BHS photo collection to prove that notion wrong.
Take this portrait of an alumni association known as the Old First Class of Wilson Street School (now P.S. 16 in Williamsburg). At quick glance, it's just a group of middle-aged men wearing three piece suits.
But look closer on the left side of the photo, and you'll see two students sneaking in on the action. The posts of the fence frame them like prisoners behind bars, and adds a probably unintentional but humorous touch.
Many studio portraits show an individual or families posing seriously and keeping still for the camera. Perhaps Ernestine Aschner, a young resident of Brooklyn Heights, considered Toby the Dog just another member of her family. Or perhaps she saw the strange and funny potential of Toby in the arms of an ambivalent doll.
Despite their historical importance, photographs are not always treated as revered artifacts. The members of the Parkside Pals Club look quite dapper in this group portrait, but did they know an enemy, armed with an ink pen and a variety of mustache styles, lay in wait?
Harry Kalmus, a Brooklyn photographer in the 1940s and 1950s, took a few refreshing candids between weddings and bar mitzvahs, like this off-center self portrait.
And this last photo of Mr. Kalmus puts a new twist on the old meme: pictures of people (or dogs) taking pictures.
Take this portrait of an alumni association known as the Old First Class of Wilson Street School (now P.S. 16 in Williamsburg). At quick glance, it's just a group of middle-aged men wearing three piece suits.
But look closer on the left side of the photo, and you'll see two students sneaking in on the action. The posts of the fence frame them like prisoners behind bars, and adds a probably unintentional but humorous touch.
Many studio portraits show an individual or families posing seriously and keeping still for the camera. Perhaps Ernestine Aschner, a young resident of Brooklyn Heights, considered Toby the Dog just another member of her family. Or perhaps she saw the strange and funny potential of Toby in the arms of an ambivalent doll.
Despite their historical importance, photographs are not always treated as revered artifacts. The members of the Parkside Pals Club look quite dapper in this group portrait, but did they know an enemy, armed with an ink pen and a variety of mustache styles, lay in wait?
Harry Kalmus, a Brooklyn photographer in the 1940s and 1950s, took a few refreshing candids between weddings and bar mitzvahs, like this off-center self portrait.
And this last photo of Mr. Kalmus puts a new twist on the old meme: pictures of people (or dogs) taking pictures.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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