history

Identifying a Family Photograph

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Family photo from the early 1940s. My great grandmother is on the right.

One of my classes this semester is a photography preservation class. Part of doing archival work around photographs involves identifying different photography processes. There are many ways of making a photograph, even from the earliest days of photography in 1839. Some photographs are one of a kind objects, other photography techniques involve creating a photo negative that is then developed into a positive print.

This week we were challenged to identify a photograph either from our own collections or from an archive or other repository. Since most archives are closed right now, I chose one of the prints in my own photography collection.

This photo is a gelatin silver DOP print, which was one of the most popular print techniques of the 20th century. You can’t see it from the photo, but it has a high gloss finish, which became popular during the 1930s.

My Nana was able to tell me a lot more about the people in the photograph and when and where it was taken, so learning about the photograph’s process also meant that I learned more about my family history.

Are you interested in learning about your own family photographs? Graphics Atlas has great information about identifying different kinds of photography and has great information about the science behind each kind of photo process. It shows views under magnification and commons signs of deterioration.

For example, my family photo shows signs of silver mirroring in the darkest areas. See that silvery blue sheen in the photo? That means that the silver has migrated closer to the surface in areas that are really dark (where there was a high density in silver to develop the photo).

Why do archives care about identifying photos?

  • It helps to date photos. By identifying the process, we can have rough estimates about the date based on when the technique was being used. That said, this isn’t foolproof because some really old techniques are still being used by photographers today.
  • It helps with preservation. Knowing the ideal conditions for a photograph or a negative is dependent on knowing the kind of artifact you’re working with.
  • It helps with access. Importantly, knowing that you have a specific type of print can help researchers looking for specific kinds of photos to study.

What’s the oldest family photo you have? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 2016 Releases I’m Really Excited About

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature from The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is all about what 2016 releases we really meant to get to, but weren’t able to read for whatever reason. My reading is almost always at least a year (if not a century) behind, so I actually like waiting for the best-of-the-year lists to come out, and a lot of times I build up my to-read list from these compiled lists by people who do actually read the books when they come out. In particular, I really like NPR’s list because it’s super fun and visual and easy to sort through (I am a huge nerd about good indexing and cross indexing), not to mention the blurbs are written by people like librarians and NPR staffers instead of publishing houses. I like the different perspectives. So here are ten books that I mostly haven’t mentioned yet, but that I can’t wait to read whether that’s this year or years down the road when they happen to find me.

  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson–Starts on the brink of WWI in a small English town–a book about manners and how they’re affected by the chaos of war. Sounds like a great read. (in the Book Club Ideas Section)
  • Umami by Laia Jufresa–I love reading translated books (part of the enjoyment being thinking about how the book is different in the native language–pure speculation), and this debut novel about loss and connection in Mexico City seems like a great read. (in the Staff Picks Section).
  • Patience by Daniel Clowes–Graphic novels are so interesting and moving, and I like the change of pace from regular novels every now and again. This book is supposed to be a love story, but also involves time travel. Can you really ask for more than that? (in the For Art Lovers section)
  • Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung–A boarding school story set in Australia with a young woman who struggles to find a place for herself and her heritage, a YA with plenty of nuance–my favorite kind. (in the Tales From Around the World section)
  • The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller’s Obsession With A Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming–a nonfiction book about a man obsessed  with a work of art. (in the Seriously Great Writing section)
  • The Glass Universe: How The Ladies Of The Harvard Observatory Took The Measure Of The Stars by David Sobel–A group of female astrologists, long relegated to the sidelines are brought to the forefront. This books talks about the women themselves as well as their contributions to science. (in the It’s All Geek to Me section)
  • The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg–A spin on the 1,001 Nights, and that’s all I have to know to be interested in this graphic novel. (in the Ladies First section)
  • The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer–A nonfiction book about brave librarians who risk everything to save books…um yes please. (in the Identity & Culture section)
  • The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman–YA historical fiction that takes the historical part seriously but isn’t afraid to throw a few demons in. (in the Rather Long section)
  • The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment ed. by Brian Copenhaver–I love reading about magic and how the perception of it has changed over time. This book looks like something of an undertaking, but a good one. (in the Eye-Opening Reads section)

 

How do you find new books for your TBR lists? Was there a book you missed this year that you really were looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Historical Periods

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature brought to you by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is a rewind–we’re supposed to pick a past topic that we wanted to do but couldn’t (or from a time when we weren’t yet blogging). A while back there was a topic about historical periods you like to read about. I’ve picked five of my favorite eras and a couple books set in each one (or written in them), one I have read and one I haven’t. These are in no particular, and certainly not chronological, order.

All book links will take you to Goodreads.

WWII

I think I’ve made my interest in this period pretty clear with blog posts like this one about my recommended books set in this time. I’m not as interested in the movement of armies as in the lives of civilians and of course the atrocities of the Holocaust. As despairing as this period can be, the amazing hope and courage displayed by extraordinary individuals can be uplifting not in spite of but because of the circumstances.

read: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr–I think I’ve said previously that this book lives up to all the hype surrounding it. It’s totally immersive and the characters are so engaging.

want to read: Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky–This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while. It was written on the eve of French occupation by a Jewish woman who later died in Auschwitz.

The Victorian Era

If I had been required to specialize in a particular era in college, it would have been this one. I find the Victorians, who were at an unprecedented moment in history in terms of the awakening of science, industry, and social movements to be completely fascinating. I love the books and plays written in and about this era.

read: To Marry an English Lord: Or How Anglomania Really Got Started by Gail MacColl and Alice Wallace–All about the American heiresses who crossed an ocean for titles and prestige (and the mothers who pushed them to go), this nonfiction book was really fun.

want to read: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

The French Revolution

Combined with the period leading up to it, the French Revolution captivates me. Another unprecedented time in history, it’s a story about excess, philosophy, and the power of the mob. It’s also a time that produced some really interesting personalities from Marie Antoinette to Ben Franklin across the ocean.

read: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber–If you’re interested in fashion, you’ll love this book, otherwise there are many other great nonfiction books about this time period.

want to read: Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser–This book has been on my TBR for years, but one day I will finally read it.

The Regency Period

Maybe it’s all due to Jane Austen, but I love this period right after the French revolution when people wore high-waisted gowns and cared about who was dancing with whom.

read (and currently rereading): Emma by Jane Austen–I don’t think this book needs much introduction, but it’s my favorite Austen novel, so it needed to be here.

want to read: Belgravia by Julian Fellowes–I’m not sure if this book should be here or in the Victorian era, since it’s technically set in both, but it starts in the regency so we’re gonna go with it. It’s also here because Julian Fellowes wrote Downton Abbey (which is a show I love but I have not seen the final season so don’t say anything–I just don’t want it to end yet), and because I never have new books on here and this one was recently published.

The Renaissance

Here I’m specifically referring to the Italian Renaissance, which occurred earlier than the English one (though that one is also in my top ten). I love the romance, mystery, and magic of this time period.

read: The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie–This book gets a lot of flack, either for not being similar enough to Rushdie’s other works or for having rather flat depictions of women, but both times I read it I was swept up by the power of storytelling.

want to read: The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen–Renaissance? Check. Art? Check. Female protagonist? Check.

 

Do you have a book you enjoyed (or want to read) from one of these time periods? Did I miss your favorite historical era? Let me know in the comments.

 

Women Writers Reading Challenge #51: The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

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So the early Wonder Woman? Yeah, she was kind of a badass. And she is descended from some of the most influential suffragettes and women’s rights leaders of the early twentieth century, owing debts to Margaret Sanger and Emmeline Pankhurst. Her creator also invented the lie detector (though the patented invention–the polygraph–would be created by someone else). It’s a strange road that leads to Wonder Woman, and Jill Lepore navigates crazy amounts of available materials to bring her history to life. Well paired with images, Lepore’s text is engaging, with just the right kinds of details. The history behind this character is…complicated, and the author explores her subject with enthusiasm and without judgment. I really enjoyed this book and all the wonderful, hidden, almost-forgotten stories that Lepore uncovers. If you’re interested in comics or feminism, consider giving this history a try; I think it will make you see this popular heroine just a little differently.

Who is your favorite superhero?

Women Writers Reading Challenge #38: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

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picture from author’s site

I listened to this book on a road trip with my grandparents. Nana and Papa came to visit us in Boise and then I drove back with them to spend more time with family and a girlfriend who flew in from out of town.

The book was everything you could want from a trip read–it was engaging enough to keep me occupied from both a writing and subject matter standpoint. Where it falls short is in its historical detail–the sources just aren’t available for many of the subjects, which reduces their lives to summary. The stories however are quite interesting, and it’s certainly worth the read if you’re interested in some real life (though not all of them are real) princesses.

Women Writers Reading Challenge #23: Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

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I’m constantly intrigued, fascinated, and captivated by Italy. I have never been there, though I hope someday soon that will change, and yet I’m in love with the culture and the landscape. It’s a place, in other words, that calls to me. Frances Mayes’ memoir enabled me to deepen my understanding of the Tuscan landscape. Her descriptions or her time in Italy are written in the style of the landscape itself–the words linger and move slowly–it is writing to savor, as are her descriptions of food. She has quite a few recipes included (Baking for Bookworms heaven, I tell you), and they all conjure up such an irresistible place. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Italy, or indeed Europe more broadly, who loves food, and appreciates labors of love.

A brief note: The book is very different from the movie (which I also thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend), so there’s plenty of new things to discover and appreciate.

Women Writers Reading Challenge Book #19: Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

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They call this book a graphic novel, which is somewhat disingenuous as its more of a collection of various comics on various subjects. Some of the comics are absolutely hilarious, and it’s clear that Kate Beaton has quite a gift for them, especially ones involving history and literature. However, I really disliked this book’s lack of organization and structure and some of the jokes went over my head, which is to be expected I suppose but it’s one of those books that makes you feel pretty badly read if you don’t get stuff. Overall it’s a fun book to peruse (and there’s a section on 15th century peasant love that is absolutely hilarious) and a good way to spend an hour or two.