- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Thanks for sharing.
Hi James, and I was wondering about the time period of the photo, so thanks for clarifying. It seemed to fit the description given in the OP.DO note that this photo of Harriet is a daguerreotype, likely dating from the 1840's and not the Civil War era. This hairstyle with the fat "sausage curls" at the side was popular during the Mexican War; I have several N. Currier (not yet Currier & Ives) and other era prints showing similar hairstyles.
I believe other then heating on/in the stove curling irons of the day they did these easier "rag curls" as well @JPK Huson 1863 :
That's quite a collection, James, and I think my favourite is The Belle of New York, as much for the smile in her eyes as the elaborate hairstyle.Hairstyles as Seen in Popular Prints of the Times
View attachment 177277
Forgive the poor quality of these photos I took last night in my dining room where these and others are displayed. I've admired the hokey quality of Currier & Ives prints since I discovered them now over a half-century ago but was never able to afford the famous ones you always see around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so have had to "make do" with these smaller ones by them and their competitors. The one above, titled MY FRIEND AND I. is by N. Currier (before his partnership with Ives) dated 1846 and is especially interesting as an example of what today would be called subliminal advertising: in the upper right-hand corner is a representation of another popular Currier print showing hero and early casualty of the Mexican War Major Samuel Ringgold of the U. S. Artillery. I've also seen a copy this print - minus Ringgold - reversed with the caption My Sister and I, and by a different publisher, showing that in this period there was no such thing as copy-written material and piracy was rampant. (And it may well be that Currier was the offender in this case!)
View attachment 177278
FANNY. here is another Lith. Pub. by N. Currier and also dated 1846; dated prints such as these provide definite proof of the dates of things like hairstyles and fashion trends; they were for popular consumption and therefore tried to be timely in subject and appearance.
View attachment 177276
LOOK AT MAMMA. is another Lith and Pub. by N. Currier but is unfortunately undated. However, most Currier and Currier & Ives prints contain an inventory number to correspond with their mail-order lists! This one is number 329 showing it to follow Fanny (number 122). This time, we can determine the date pretty closely as being from the same mid-1840's era from the similar styles depicted. Sentimental scenes like this were immensely popular with the buying public and today are referred to as genre prints.
View attachment 177279
The first one of these I acquired and my favorite SARAH. is not by Currier, but one of his several competitors and is undated but marked Lith. & Pub. by J. Baillie, 118 Nassau St. N. Y. in the same neighborhood as Currier himself, who was variously at 152 Nassau St. Cor. of Spruce N. Y. and earlier 33 Spruce St. N. Y. Although undated, Sarah too obviously dates from the 1840-1850 period.
View attachment 177275
Although THE BELLE OF NEW YORK was severely cropped in framing - all these except Fanny are in the frames they came in - she's almost certainly a Currier & Ives dating from around 1870. She well illustrates the ever-more-elaborate hairstyles of the Gilded Age and Grant's Administration.
I've seen (and was tempted to buy!) another similar Currier & Ives from around the same period titled The Belle of the South who was wearing a contrasting RED dress.That's quite a collection, James, and I think my favourite is The Belle of New York, as much for the smile in her eyes as the elaborate hairstyle.
Wonderful collection of Currier and Ives prints. Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad you enjoyed them! None are in really great condition (Sarah's probably the best) and some were even soiled (frameless Fanny was even slightly mildewed) or had slight tears, but they display well, especially as a group. In case you may think they're all pictures of girls, there are also Napoleonic soldiers and Mexican War battles, a young Lady (Martha) Washington, George crossing the Delaware, Washington Family (including the adopted Custis grandchildren), a still life with fruit, and another stylized girl titled AUTUMN with fruit woven into her hair!These are so beautiful! Thank you for collecting them and then sharing them with us!
I'm glad you're saving a piece of history with them no matter what condition they're in!I'm glad you enjoyed them! None are in really great condition (Sarah's probably the best) and some were even soiled (frameless Fanny was even slightly mildewed) or had slight tears, but they display well, especially as a group. In case you may think they're all pictures of girls, there are also Napoleonic soldiers and Mexican War battles, a young Lady (Martha) Washington, George crossing the Delaware, Washington Family (including the adopted Custis grandchildren), a still life with fruit, and another stylized girl called AUTUMN with fruit woven into her hair!
Not Washington but another of our favorites here on the forums I neglected to include; I posted this thread the same time as the ladies here but it immediately disappeared from the homepage as so often happens!Would love to see the Washington pictures. I know not of Civil War era, but would enjoy seeing them.
Would love to see the Washington pictures. I know not of Civil War era, but would enjoy seeing them.
I'm glad you're saving a piece of history with them no matter what condition they're in!
That's quite a collection, James, and I think my favourite is The Belle of New York, as much for the smile in her eyes as the elaborate hairstyle.
Thank you! How beautiful!View attachment 209988
I thought you might like to see my latest, found at my favorite HUGE indoor/outdoor flea market this past weekend for the princely sum of $20! One of the 'leaves' decorating the corner of the frame is broken and it was very dirty and the wood dried out, but nothing a little TLC couldn't improve. In addition to the ca. 1890 frame I was attracted by the strong color of what I think is another ca. 1870's Currier & Ives print titled Rose And Lily, although I wish they hadn't been so severely cropped to fit the frame.
View attachment 209987
On a recent but probably rerun episode of Antiques Roadshow one of their experts said that the only way to tell the "sex" of a particular type of doll was the painted or molded part in their hair: centered for girls and side-part for boys.Traditionally, throughout most of the 19th century, women parted their hair in the middle and men parted their hair on the side. In the case of infants and toddlers, all of whom wore dresses regardless of sex (lots easier to change diapers and toilet train!), the hair part (once they had enough hair to part) was the only way to tell if the child was a boy or a girl!
Barton’s eyes…….haunted and sorrowful.The first names that came to mind with their hair parted in the middle were Dr. Mary Walker (MOH recipient) and Clara Barton (founder American Red Cross). National Archives photos -
View attachment 177028 Walker
View attachment 177029 Barton