This photo is a real problem because I don't even know how to describe it. I bought it about 30 years ago from a couple who had fished it out of a trash can in Beverly Hills. They saw someone throw a bunch of stuff away and when they looked in the can they saw a lot of old photographs so they took them. This was one of them. The person who originally owned it was probably a collector because the photos were not typical of what a family would own.
It's not an ambrotype. It's a positive photo on glass that's been reverse painted on the back (that's why I taped the protective backing on it). The glass is about 1/4" thick. It probably was cased or framed at one time. It's not a crystoleum. I've had those before and they don't look like this. It's almost like an opalotype except it's on clear glass. The size is about a 5" x 7" (I haven't measured it, just guessing.)
I originally thought it was Civil War due to the hat. I've researched it a lot and I still don't know what to think. I'm going to post the original photo then a section that I enhanced so you can see that it's an actual photo. I had to enhance it because the scanner doesn't seem to work that well with 1/4" glass. The hat has an insignia of "BB" with an "S" over that. I can't tell what is on the buttons.
Any ideas what it is? Where it's from? Anything at all? Any ideas are totally appreciated. I really like the photo but I wish I knew more about it.
It's not an ambrotype. It's a positive photo on glass that's been reverse painted on the back (that's why I taped the protective backing on it). The glass is about 1/4" thick. It probably was cased or framed at one time. It's not a crystoleum. I've had those before and they don't look like this. It's almost like an opalotype except it's on clear glass. The size is about a 5" x 7" (I haven't measured it, just guessing.)
I originally thought it was Civil War due to the hat. I've researched it a lot and I still don't know what to think. I'm going to post the original photo then a section that I enhanced so you can see that it's an actual photo. I had to enhance it because the scanner doesn't seem to work that well with 1/4" glass. The hat has an insignia of "BB" with an "S" over that. I can't tell what is on the buttons.
Any ideas what it is? Where it's from? Anything at all? Any ideas are totally appreciated. I really like the photo but I wish I knew more about it.