This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
Many of us accumulate various valuable objects throughout our lives, like homes, cars, jewelry, antiques, and art. Appraisers help individuals and organizations determine the value of these objects, which can be useful for many different purposes, like insurance, potential sales, and donations. Certified appraisers go through industry-regulated coursework and accreditation that gives their opinions on value a level of authority that insurance companies recognize, auction houses, galleries, and institutions. Becoming an appraiser is an involved process but a worthwhile one.
My Fine Art Appraising Journey
I remember the exact moment I fell in love with art. I was 16, and we were on a family trip to New York to visit colleges. I had every intention of pursuing political science at the time, as I dreamt of becoming a political speechwriter. But, life had other plans. My mother is one of those people that insists on going to museums every vacation, so there we were at MoMA —me thinking art is boring and wondering why we needed to spend hours shuffling around looking at stuff hanging on walls. And then I saw Francis Bacon’s Painting.
Painted in the aftermath of WWII, the image has a visceral, disturbing quality to it, as a corpse-like figure is shrouded beneath an umbrella, a crucified carcass looming behind. I instantly felt something —I was fascinated, repulsed, and intrigued. I had known art could be beautiful; I had known art could be historically interesting. But I hadn’t known art could do this. The following semester I enrolled in an art history survey course, and, as they say—the rest is history.
Over the next dozen years, I would complete three degrees in the field (a BFA in studio art, MA in Art History, and MFA in Photography) and work in various fine art museums across the country. While I cringe every time I hear someone say “passion,” my feelings towards art do equate much to something like passion. I carried this deep love of art across the country last year, relocating from Austin, Texas, to Seattle, Washington. During the pandemic, I was forced to re-evaluate my relationship with art and museums. I knew I wanted to continue working directly with art, artists, and collectors, but I could not see how museums would be part of that path moving forward, as their future seemed in jeopardy.
In my years working as a museum registrar and later as a curator, I worked with dozens of appraisers and dealt with probably hundreds of appraisals. This experience, coupled with my own interest in the fine art market and economies of conspicuous consumption, I decided to forge a new path as a fine art appraiser.
Options for Becoming an Appraiser
There are many different avenues available for becoming a certified fine art appraiser, but there are three main accrediting organizations for those hoping to do fine art and personal property appraising: The Appraisers Association of America (AAA), the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). All three require an application that asks for your background and professional references. Once approved, you must complete the coursework related to ethics, Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and any specializations.
The main difference between these three paths lies in how a person becomes an accredited member and the different tiers of membership offered to certified appraisers. I chose to complete my accreditation through the International Society of Appraisers because they have a pathway for those that already have a background within their chosen specialty to bypass some of the accreditation coursework requirements. As I have already worked in museums and hold two graduate degrees, this path appealed to me so I could move forward with the process quickly. The three aforementioned appraising bodies also offer membership bridging, allowing you to gain accreditation from one organization and become a member of a different sister organization.
Why Accreditation Matters
Most major insurance companies, auction houses, and institutions require that certified appraisers perform all determinations of value. This is to protect everyone involved since appraisers give informed opinions that are backed by their personal knowledge and experience, as well as being justified through thorough research. If you are ever seeking to find out what an object might be worth or even identify the history of an object you might know nothing about, an appraiser can help you out. They can also assist with determining how much insurance you should carry to cover the property you own and help you demonstrate value for donations and gifts. If you are ever in need of a personal property appraiser, I suggest you visit the website of one of the aforementioned appraisal organizations.
The Accreditation Process
I was approved as a Member of ISA in January of this year and started their Core Course in Appraisal Studies. Normally taught in person, they have shifted the course to a virtual format to accommodate the pandemic. Once started, you are given six months to complete the course, which involves reading roughly 500 pages from the associated textbook, listening to 25 hour-long lecture sessions, and completing a quiz after you have finished each section.
If you feel tired just reading this, you can understand how I have felt these past few months. I cram my coursework into my weeks however I can. Often, that means reading in the evenings after dinner or taking entire days out of my schedule to work on it solely. Once I have completed the course, I must take an exam that entails producing sample appraisals and demonstrating the knowledge I have learned over these months. After passing the exam, I have three years to complete 700 hours of demonstrable hands-on appraising experience. Typically, I would also be required to take coursework related to my appraising specialty, but as I already have an extensive background within fine art, I will most likely bypass this requirement.
I will be approaching established local appraisers in the Seattle area in the coming months in the hopes of finding a mentor through this process. Thus far, it has been an enjoyable—albeit tiring—process. Learning the minutiae of the field has been surprisingly interesting, especially when paired with the fine art market research I have been doing on the side. Many of the organizations offer different specialty courses; for example, ISA offers an Antiques, Furnishings, and Decorative Arts course.
During this process, I often find myself thinking about the first appraisal report I saw—documentation regarding a Jackson Pollock painting owned by the University of Iowa’s Stanley Museum of Art. I remember flipping through the pages, engrossed in learning about the provenance (history) of the painting and how the appraiser determined its value. Appraisal reports have this way of connecting art to life and history that I find poetic. These reports often explain the history of the item, tracing a web of individuals all connected by this one piece of art. I find beauty in these connections, as they reveal one of the most powerful aspects of art: its ability to enrapture and connect us all. While I may play a small role in tracing these histories through appraising, I find value in the journey and am rewarded by protecting these histories along the way.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When she takes a break from art, she enjoys science-fiction books, antiquing, backpacking, and eating her weight in Dim Sum.
My parents recently moved out of my childhood home. I traveled back to Texas to help with the endeavor, sifting through drawers and boxes, trying to help them pack up their lives as best I could. Admittedly, I was a slow assistant—too often spending time carefully rummaging through paperwork and files, savoring the opportunity to get a glimpse of what my parents’ lives were like before I was born. I couldn’t help myself. In packing their oversized house, I found enough photographs to fill over a dozen boxes. Old snapshots of my dad playing rugby in the 70s, images from their fishing trips to the Florida Keys, photos of family gatherings from before I existed. While the mysterious histories behind these images were certainly intriguing to me, I found myself equally engrossed in the photos themselves, which were often arresting.
I say arresting because I found myself drawn to their flaws. Clearly, my family is not filled with skilled photographers, as there were hundreds of imperfect photos. A thumb in the way, an overexposure, an image out of focus. Although these were mundane images, they felt so completely outside of the modern experience. Looking at these photos, I realized how much I missed imperfect images and how I rarely see photos like these anymore. Now the ugly bits have been Photoshopped out and filtered into oblivion. The fingers have been deleted, and these days, most people seek permission before posting an image someone could find even remotely unflattering.
Recognizing Imperfections
There are many common “imperfections” in photography, all small accidents leading to unexpected results. While most people I know quickly delete an ugly image or toss a bad print, I think there is a great beauty in these unanticipated occurrences that deserves recognition.
Misfires. Misfires still happen today, but the name harkens back to the days of film: A misfire is an accidental image created by a slip of the trigger finger, which activates the shutter. Misfires capture the unexpected. These visuals are special precisely because they are not meant for posterity. They are liminal moments—discarded images sandwiched between the “real” photos—not meant to be remembered. These imperfections speak to an authenticity and sincerity that can sometimes feel lacking in the digital age. They also speak to life—to the imperfections and disappointments, unexpected moments, and happy accidents that make up our lived experience.
Out of focus. Sometimes you focus on the wrong object, or your focal length is incorrect, or the depth of field is all off. Maybe the image is low resolution in today’s terms, or the file deteriorated, compressed, remixed, snapshot-ed, and shared. The pixels are more visible, with lots of noise and grain. These photographs beautifully undermine the indexicality of the medium. They are no longer a mimetic depiction, as the indexicality has been shifted from capturing a visual experience of the subject to a physical experience of the medium. Now the focus has moved onto the act of photographing, not the documentation of the moment. No longer is the work a conversation about the depiction, but about the photographer’s choices, process, and “failures.” A shifting of focus literally shifts attention, drawing our eyes to the unexpected, highlighting things we may not have otherwise seen.
Under and Overexposure. Perhaps one of the issues we most commonly fight in the digital age, exposure problems persist even with the help of technology. Overexposure leaves us with blown-out images, where details are lost in bright whites. Its cousin, underexposure, leaves us with inky, blocky blacks, which obscure the details of the image. While these problems all speak to mechanical issues, phones without the needed sensitivity for the lighting (or photographers sampling light in the wrong areas) can also produce this ephemeral quality. Difficult to replicate, exposure issues change how we relate to an image by evoking moods and readings that otherwise may not have been present.
Odd Compositions. Even if we can’t readily identify different composition rules, like the rule of thirds, we naturally can sense when a composition is “off.” Maybe the action is too close to the edge of the image, or a person’s head is cropped off. In the era of image saturation, we can all immediately recognize when an image is “wrong,” and thus, we have come to expect and value certain visual compositions over others. But there is a case to be made for the unusual composition —the one that leaves out details and raises questions. These compositions ask to be seen, not merely looked at, and they demand a more active engagement from the viewer.
Embracing Imperfections Across the World of Collecting
Numismatists, or coin collectors, have come to highly value errors in coins. Mint-made errors, or mistakes made in the minting process, are some of the most highly sought-after characteristics in coins. If the imprinting process produces unexpected results, like an offset design, these unintended mistakes become more valuable as their unique, rare quality is seen as a marker of beauty. The “error” here is a desirable trait because it stands in stark contrast to the uniformity of the other coins. As the images we consume become more tightly controlled, more carefully manipulated to produce slick, professional results, an argument must be made to embrace the imperfect image.
All of the aforementioned imperfections, and others like light leaks and multiple exposures, remind us of the photographic process. They remind us that ultimately photography presents us with mediated, authored images. Imperfect images break the camera’s illusion of objectivity by showing the flaws in the system.
So, go ahead and frame the “bad” family portrait. Post an unfiltered image taken from the hip. Use a crappy camera with two settings, where the flip of a coin determines depth of field. Use expired film, and don’t toss your parent’s ugly photographs. It is time for our perfectly Photoshopped world to be reminded of the value of imperfection.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When she takes a break from art, she enjoys science-fiction books, antiquing, backpacking, and eating her weight in Dim Sum.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
For the last decade, I’ve been getting paid to worry about what other people put on their walls. So, naturally, when I enter someone else’s home, the first thing I judge is their art. I instantly notice someone’s Matisse exhibition print, their homemade attempts at Pollock knock-offs, their early-career Cecily Brown, or their minimalist movie poster. A person’s art collection can say a lot about their values and taste. Despite having worked with many highly talented painters over the years, my walls are exclusively covered in photography. Years ago, I decided to give my art collecting a bit of focus, and photography was the natural fit.
Not considered worthy of collecting until the early decades of the 20th century, as it was not yet deemed true “art,” photography can be a great entry point into the fine art market. Prices are often lower than those of “traditional” mediums, like painting and sculpture, and works by big names can often be secured without having to spend seven figures. With that said, collecting photography requires a bit of knowledge (and luck!) to make informed purchasing decisions. Below are a few things to take into consideration when building your collection.
Editions
With a few exceptions, photography is often produced in editions. Typically found written on the print, like 1/20, this tells you how many prints were produced and denotes which “number” a particular print is within the edition. If you see 3/25, this means you are looking at the third print in a run of 25 prints produced. Smaller editions usually hold more value, as it can mean fewer were produced, and scarcity will usually add value to a piece (but, then again, there are always exceptions).
When purchasing an editioned work, it is worth finding out if the edition is “closed” or “open.” A closed edition means that the edition will never be revisited, and thus more prints will not be produced. An open edition means that more prints may be produced later, which could reduce the scarcity of the print and thus affect its value. You may also see “limited edition,” which can be misleading. Sometimes it means the edition is closed, but other times, it only means the prints were produced in conjunction with a particular event, and the edition is actually open.
In a similar vein, you may see a “first edition” demarcation, which often implies that there were further runs of a print and that this particular print was part of the very first run (again, the amount of value that this adds will depend on other variables, such as the photograph, the photographer, and the image’s context).
Finally, you may sometimes see “Artist Proof” or AP. These prints were produced for the artist’s benefit to gauge color, contrast, printing methods, paper, etc. Think of it as the photographer’s test run for a particular print. In theory, these prints are not meant to enter the market, but it’s not uncommon to see them in circulation. As these are typically unique, they can be more valuable—but again, this depends on the print in question.
Types of Prints
Often you will see terms like “vintage” or “printed later” to describe photographic prints. These terms identify the time period in which the print was produced in relation to the creation of the negative or source image. A “vintage” print is usually made close to the time when the image was originally shot. Because of this close proximity between the creation of the negative and the creation of the print, vintage photographs are often more valuable. A “modern print” is made from an older negative. Since more time has elapsed between the time when the negative was shot and the creation of the photograph, modern prints can sometimes be labeled as “printed later.” A “posthumous” print is just that: a print made after the death of the artist. As a general rule, the closer you are to the original negative, the more valuable the print will be. These distinctions are of particular importance for the works of early photographers like Ansel Adams.
Printing Processes
You may also wish to educate yourself on different printing processes, as this will not only dictate how you care for the piece but could also be a focus of your collecting efforts. Like HIP’s founder and WorthPoint’s CEO, Will Seippel, some people collect negatives, but most collectors focus on prints. There are many different printing processes out there, like C-print (Chromogenic print), silver gelatin, albumen, and sublimation. Familiarizing yourself with popular substrates is also worthwhile, as photographs are printed on a wide range of materials, from different papers to canvas (giclee), metals, and more.
Collecting Focus
Any art collection benefits from having some type of unifying theme, and photography is no exception. Many collectors focus on eras or regions, like Arthur Walther’s collection of African photography. Other collectors gravitate toward works that explore issues near and dear to their personal interests, like Elton John’s impressive collection of works by LGBTQIA+ and female artists. Some choose to focus on specific artists, amassing as many works as possible by certain photographers (like Bob Fisher’s collection). Others simply collect anything and everything that speaks to them. How you choose to curate your personal collection matters, and I strongly encourage new collectors to define their collecting intentions.
Then again, sometimes, you simply need to start collecting before you find your collection’s focus. You may notice that you naturally gravitate toward certain subjects or styles. If your burgeoning collection doesn’t have a unifying focus from the get-go, pay attention to which photographs catch your eye and see if you can discern any similarities that unite them.
The Big Names
Check out the results of any auction sale, and you’ll probably see the same big names, as the list of popular photographers has changed little over the decades. But that is not to say that lesser-known photographers are not worth collecting. The fine art world and the photography market are rapidly changing, so do not feel an obligation to only collect the major players. If you would like to familiarize yourself with the medium’s history, an exploration of the following photographers would be a good place to start: Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Larry Clark, William Eggleston, Walker Evans, Nan Goldin, Andreas Gursky, Dorothea Lange, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, Alfred Stieglitz, Jeff Wall, Ai Weiwei, and Edward Weston.
Other Considerations
Learning how to properly care for your photographs is immensely important, as many of the printing processes and substrates involved require special care. As with collecting any valuable (or potentially valuable) item, you should keep all provenance documents, like receipts, as these will be needed for determining value and authenticity (if so needed) at a later date. These documents are essential to maintaining your object’s value, and thorough notes and histories should be kept on every object in your collection.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When she takes a break from art, she enjoys science-fiction books, antiquing, backpacking, and eating her weight in Dim Sum.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
Gerhard Richter’s Atlas lives on my coffee table. An unassuming book, if ever you could call an 862-page tome such, it is a rousing and interesting collection of photographs, clippings, and sketches amassed by the artist. Spanning his entire career, the book gives you a glimpse into the artist’s life and mind. Blurry images of Mao, family photographs, aerial images of Germany, jewelry advertisements, newspaper clippings, snapshots of flowers and glaciers taken on vacation—individually they seem mundane, but when considered collectively, the archive creates manifold understandings of not only Richter’s practice but life itself, through the strange and wondrous juxtapositions.
Despite being images collected by a famous artist, the depictions included are considered “vernacular photography”—as they are images produced and consumed outside the realm of fine art. I use the term “images” rather than photographs since their quotidian nature belies an intentionality external to professional photography. These images, like so many of the images we see today, are not meant to be understood as art, not intended for an exhibition or meant to be interpretive. Vernacular photography at its essence fully embodies the indexicality of the photographic medium: snapshots, ads, and other non-professional images that are exactly what they seem—an earnest depiction of a moment, object, or person. While abstraction may occur, in the sense that the depicted subject may not be easily decipherable, vernacular photography is purely visual, requiring no abstraction in thought to interpret the image.
Vernacular photography has been around for nearly as long as photography itself. Alternatively called “domestic” or “functional” photography in its early years, vernacular photography came to be as photography became more widespread in the 1880s, thanks to George Eastman and Kodak. As photography became accessible to those outside of fine art and the scientific development of the medium, vernacular photography caught on like wildfire. From the earliest days of photography, people have been taking images of vernacular subjects, like snapshots of family gatherings, vacations, friends, pets, homes, and events.
These images allowed people to document their lives, giving them the means to share their experiences and surroundings with others in a manner not experienced before photography. Prior to photography, the average person had little ability to document or share their lives with others, outside of oral accounts and the written word. Photography revolutionized the notion of the personal archive, as vernacular images gave glimpses into the personal lives and lived experiences of people. Today we are surrounded by vernacular photography, as social media and messaging platforms have created a culture of image saturation. The vast majority of the images we consume now are vernacular in nature, which has caused many collectors, curators, academics, and institutions to rethink the ways in which we relate to this under-recognized genre.
For over a hundred years, the majority of photography that was taken seriously by fine art institutions and collectors was produced by those deemed professionals. These professionals often underwent formal training or mentorship, attending art schools or shooting alongside other artists. This narrowed focus of photography has led to large chunks of photographic history being overlooked. It was not until the 1990s that we see vernacular photography being taken more seriously, with major institutions beginning to hold exhibitions of such photography in the 21st century. This shift is incredibly important as up until this point, most vernacular photography, and thus its photographers, had been completely written off. This oversight has handicapped the history of the medium, and we are only now beginning to unravel the damage and biases put in place.
Vernacular photography allows us to appreciate the authorship and histories of groups and individuals that have otherwise been marginalized within the art historical canon. While vernacular photography has widely been considered authorless since the images are not ascribed to particular known photographers, this assumption that value is attached only to a name is false. There is always an author, a photographer who found value in the depiction, who sought to document an experience or moment from their point of view. While photography is a medium of mediation, it is also often argued to be an extension of the photographer. Recognizing the value of images shot by those within marginalized communities, documenting their lived experiences and conditions allows us the opportunity for a greater understanding and appreciation of these communities and constituent individuals.
This growing appreciation for vernacular photography has created many collecting opportunities. Vernacular photography can be a terrific entry point into collecting the medium, as it is often reasonably priced. History in Photographs is largely a collection of vernacular images, but as anyone that has spent time with the collection can attest, there is great value and visual interest within these images. Many vernacular photography collectors choose to center their collection around a theme, like maritime photos or lunar images – like those featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2019 exhibition “Apollo’s Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography.” These images can be very artful in their own right, offering rare glimpses into people’s lives. You can often find these vernacular photographs for sale in antique shops, at markets and other resale gatherings, online resale shops, and auction houses. You may even find some tucked away in your own basement or attic. I personally love purchasing boxes of mixed photographs on eBay; there is something about sifting through these images that makes me feel connected to the past. Vernacular photography surrounds us, and now it is time for us to truly look.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When she takes a break from art, she enjoys science-fiction books, antiquing, backpacking, and eating her weight in Dim Sum.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
This Memorial Day, as our nation honors those who have served in our military, the team at HistoryInPhotographs.com (HIP) would like to use this occasion to share a bit more about one such hero: George Sakata, an American soldier and photographer whose work is featured on our HIP site.
From the Sugarcane Fields of Hawaii to California
George was born in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1922. However, the story of his life and his photographs begins long before his birth. It started in the 1860s when Japanese immigrants began arriving in Hawaii to work on its burgeoning sugar cane plantations. During this chapter, exploitation and hardship were typical for this community. Large commercial interests held serious sway in Hawaii, and the sugar cane industry demanded grueling physical labor from the Japanese workers that it depended upon. Immigrant workers could even be fined or whipped for simply talking or taking a break to stretch during their long, arduous workdays.
It wasn’t until the turn of the century that Japanese immigrant families like George’s began to create homes in the Mainland U.S., mainly along the West coast. Once again, Japanese workers had no choice but to take undesirable jobs in mines and in railroad construction. On top of this physical exploitation, Japanese immigrants experienced broad discrimination. They were barred from citizenship, which meant that they were unable to own any land. They were also barred from participating in the American labor movement, which made it difficult, if not impossible, for them to demand better working conditions and fair wages. Japanese immigrants were also victims of riots and violence, and many communities made it painfully clear that Japanese families were not welcome in their neighborhoods. This is the world that George was born into in 1922.
From Hardworking Immigrant to a U.S. Internment Camp
Although this type of discrimination was the unfortunate norm throughout George’s childhood, the Japanese immigrant community faced even greater struggles in 1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of Japanese families. As a result of this order, about 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and relocate to squalid internment camps scattered across the western United States. Relocation also required the forced liquidation of assets, so evacuees had no choice but to sell whatever possessions they couldn’t carry. In exchange, they were placed indefinitely in prison compounds surrounded by snipers and barbed wire.
At that time, George, his parents, and his younger brother lived in Glendale, California. Around his 20th birthday, George and his family arrived at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, an internment camp located just north of Death Valley. Manzanar was an especially difficult camp because of its punishing desert climate. In addition to the camp’s communal latrines and cramped barracks, Manzanar’s prisoners had to deal with scorching temperatures that could reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Relentless desert winds filled the camp with sand and dust, and the winter months were no better. Below-freezing temperatures were common, making the winters just as miserable. By September 1942, around 10,000 Japanese Americans were living at Manzanar.
Internment Camp Prisoner to War Hero
In the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were prohibited from military service, but by 1943, this policy had changed. More than 30,000 second-generation Americans of Japanese descent — also known as Nisei — served in the United States military during World War II. George Sakata was one of them.
George filled out his draft card in 1942, shortly after his arrival at Manzanar, and within the next year or so, he became a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd RCT was a segregated unit that consisted entirely of Nisei soldiers. Because of their Japanese heritage, these particular soldiers were treated as expendables, and they received especially risky assignments. Even so, the 442nd accepted these challenges, matching the adversities of war with their tenacity. Their motto became “Go for Broke.”
Defying dangerous odds, the Nisei soldiers secured significant victories for the Allied forces. In 1944, the 442nd worked its way across Southern France, liberating various towns from Nazi occupation. They were also active throughout Italy, partnering with the 92nd Infantry Division (a segregated African American soldier unit) to push Nazi forces back across the border.
Perhaps their most famous victory was the successful rescue of the Lost Battalion. In October 1944, the 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry, also known as the Texas Battalion, became surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains. Although other battalions made multiple rescue attempts, none succeeded. About 275 soldiers were trapped, and their chances of survival became increasingly grim.
The 442nd RCT was sent in as a last-ditch effort to save the doomed battalion. After several days of harrowing combat, the 442nd broke through the German forces and rescued the 211 surviving members of the Lost Battalion. During their entire Vosges campaign, which also included the liberation of Bruyeres and Biffontaine,160 members of the 442nd RCT were killed, and 1,200 were wounded.
It would not be the first or the last time that these Nisei soldiers would take great risks and suffer severe casualties on behalf of their country. In recognition of their bravery, the unit was awarded more than 4,000 Purple Hearts, 560 Silver Star Medals, and 21 Medals of Honor. To this day, the 442nd remains the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in all of U.S. military history.
George Sakata was one of these men. Like so many Nisei soldiers, he served his country courageously and made incredible sacrifices for the United States. After World War II, George returned home to the U.S. He married, had children, and built a career as a mechanical engineer.
A Fresh Perspective on the War
Here at HIP, we don’t know as much about George’s story as we might like, primarily because he, like so many Nisei veterans, didn’t talk to his family and friends about his accomplishments or the dangers of his deployment. While we were able to find some of his family online and also discover more information via Ancestry, George passed away in 2009, so there is much that we can never know about him—which is one reason why we’re so excited about George’s photographs.
George was an avid photographer throughout his life, and he had his camera with him during his deployment. After George’s death, HIP’s founder and WorthPoint CEO, Will Seippel, purchased the bulk of George’s photographic negatives, and these include the snapshots that he took throughout World War II.
George’s photography is illuminating because it offers a rare window into what it was like to be a Nisei soldier during the war. His photographs contain many scenes that most people would otherwise never get to witness, like a group of soldiers roasting a pig in a deserted house in Italy or the faces of the many Nisei who showed such tremendous bravery.
A Street Photographer in War-Torn Italy
In addition to their documentary value, George’s photographs — perhaps because they were snapped quickly while he was on the move — foreshadow the stylistic elements that would come to define the street photography movement. Many of George’s photographs are spontaneous, unposed snapshots from the streets of Italy, and in many respects, they resemble the classic street photography styles that were popularized by photographers like Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander. Street photography, which reached its heyday in New York City in the 1960s, embraces the chaos, conflict, and accidental beauty of bustling urban spaces. Subjects are often unaware of the camera’s presence, and photographers use a fast shutter speed and fast film to capture striking photos of humming public spaces. Street photography’s best practitioners have a way of zeroing in on little details and infusing a sense of strangeness to even the most mundane elements: shadows on a sidewalk, the shape of a woman’s hair, the juxtaposition of street signs and advertisements.
George Sakata’s snapshots of wartime Italy function in much the same way. His photographs have a certain eerie appeal to them. On the one hand, we see many of the same images that any tourist might photograph on a typical vacation: the Colosseum, formidable churches, brilliant sunsets. Some snapshots suggest a sense of normalcy: a man getting a shave at the barbershop, children grinning.
Candid Photos Infused with Emotion
But alongside these light and breezy moments are other images that reveal another dimension of these spaces. In these photos, we see an Italy that is far from ordinary. These include a snapshot of a nearby minefield and photos of rubble and ruins. Some compositions are subtle enough to convey the desperations of war. For instance, we see two children manning a shoeshine box, waiting for customers, perhaps desperate to earn enough to buy food. In another shot, a little boy huddles in a cart of watermelons.
I’m surprised over and over again by the haunting juxtaposition of moods in Sakata’s work. Children smiling, women shopping — all of it mixed in with the obvious trademarks of war. Scrolling through Sakata’s work can be a jarring experience, for his subject matter quickly shifts between the casual and the catastrophic.
Sometimes Sakata’s photographs are full of activity — friends clustered on sidewalks, busy markets. But there are just as many photographs that have a certain emptiness to them. They feature deserted outdoor bars, vacant alleyways, decimated structures. The activity within Sakata’s work is almost perfectly balanced by these moments of eerie stillness. His quieter snapshots remind us of those absent: the missing men replaced by signs for minefields, the destroyed homes, the lost friends. This is Italy at war, somehow familiar and alien at the same time.
Two Worlds Colliding, Captured in One Photo
Perhaps my favorite photograph is the one below, which we’ve christened “Strangers and Soldiers.” In this photo, a man and woman appear to be conversing at the center of the frame. Perhaps they are unaware of the camera’s presence, or perhaps they are ignoring it on purpose. In any case, they turn away from the camera. On the right side of the frame, a soldier passes them, his gaze connecting with the camera, if only for a moment. I love the two worlds that seem to be colliding here: the Italian couple, who appear to carry on with life as usual, and the soldiers, who symbolize the radical upheavals within the country and the world. In a way, this photograph is emblematic of Sakata’s whole body of work, which hearkens back to life as we know it while also highlighting evidence that the world was anything but. This juxtaposition of the strange and the familiar, the sweet and the staggering, the smiles and the emptiness, is why I’m such a big fan of Sakata’s wartime photographs.
Sakata, a Quiet Hero
I wish we knew more about these photographs and more about the man who took them. When I reached out to some of George’s family members in the course of my research, they told me that George hadn’t shared much about this particular part of his life. He did not discuss the heroism, the devastation, or the discrimination that he experienced. Perhaps he didn’t think anyone would want to hear about these hard times, or perhaps such stories were too painful to retell.
That’s what I like most about these photographs: their power to shed light on a story that George did not tell. Although he was hesitant to speak about these experiences, we hope his photos can offer a glimpse into his life and into the lives of the many Nisei who fought so valiantly. We do not know how George would have chosen to tell his story, but at least we can get a sense of the world as George saw it, and to us, that experience is priceless.
A Brief History
Colloquially known as “tintypes” due to the cheap metallic feeling of their materials, ferrotypes first appeared in the United States in the mid-19th century. The first American-developed photography method, ferrotypes were made by brushing a light-sensitive emulsion on a thin metal sheet, a derivation of the collodion wet plate process. Iron plates, not tin, were coated in a viscous mixture of nitrate and alcohol, often immediately prior to exposure, as the dry plate method would not gain popularity until the end of the century. The plate was exposed to light by removing the cap and protective plate within the camera, producing an underexposed image that was then processed and coated with dark enamel. This process actually produces what would be considered a negative image (in which the light and dark areas are inverted), but we perceive it as a positive image because of the ferrotype’s dark lacquering or enameling, creating an illusion that more closely resembles a traditional positive print.
Ferrotypes were very popular for nearly a century because they were a quick, cheap method of capturing memories on vacation or at short-lived events like circuses or arcades. The materials were especially cheap when compared to the glass needed for ambrotypes (another popular technique of the time), and thus, the ferrotype became a more cost-effective alternative. According to the Library of Congress, tintypes were often sold for around 25 cents (or about $3 in 2021) in the 1860s and up to $2.50 (about $75 in 2021) in higher-demand areas, like the South during the Civil War.
Identifying Tintypes
Because tintypes enjoyed lasting popularity and were widely produced, they’re relatively easy for collectors to find today. The dark, moody images created by tintypes have an enduring appeal, so it comes as no surprise they are widely collected. Identifying tintypes can take some practice, but there are a few key features to bear in mind. Because the images were created by using an iron plate, you can often quickly identify tintypes by using a magnet. A magnet will be attracted to a tintype but will not respond to the glass used for ambrotypes.
However, this is not a foolproof method, as some ambrotypes have been found backed by a sheet of metal. Papier-mâché envelopes were often used as a cheap means of protecting tintype images, but you will also find tintypes stored in frames and cases which can make it more difficult to inspect them and distinguish them from ambrotypes. If you have an image in a protective case or frame, I would not recommend trying to remove the image yourself, as this can cause damage. In these situations, look carefully at the image, as this can help you determine if the enclosed image is an ambrotype or tintype. A tintype is not produced from a negative, so the resulting image will appear reversed. For instance, any text or signs will be backwards in a tintype, so seeking out these details can help you distinguish between tintypes and ambrotypes (which are not reversed). You can see this in the tintype below.
Quality can be another distinction. Tintypes are usually of poorer quality than ambrotypes and have an overall darker appearance. Rust, or blistering (areas where the enamel or lacquer is lifting off the surface), are good indicators that the image is a tintype.
Size can also be helpful when you’re distinguishing tintypes. According to the Library of Congress, tintypes were often produced in the following standard sizes:
Sixteenth Plate, 1.5” x 1.75”
Ninth Plate 2” x 2.5” (the most common size)
Sixth Plate 2.75” x 3.25”
Quarter Plate 3.25” x 4.25”
Half Plate 4.25” x 5.5”
Whole Plate 6.5” x 8.5”
Imperial, or Mammoth, anything larger than whole plate size.
If a print is close to one of these sizes, it could be an indication that an image is a tintype, but take these standard sizes as loose guidelines as tintypes were often hand-cut, or trimmed after the fact, and thus you will get variations in size and edge treatments. Small prints are by far the most common, with some even being produced at such a small scale they could fit into lockets.
Determining Value and Price
Tintypes are quite easy to find in resale markets and can be highly collectible, depending on the content. By far, the most sought-after tintypes are those depicting Civil War portraits, particularly if the subjects are in uniform and holding any sort of weaponry. People often also collect outdoor scenes and landscapes, which are considered novelties since most tintype photography was done within a studio. In fact, some experts can even identify where and when a tintype was created based on the backdrop and props as some studios produced numerous images. Less common imagery, and thus more sought after, include portraits of Native Americans and African Americans, as well as images of circus performers and traveling cowboy shows. There is a niche market for post-mortem (after death) photography, which was very popular within the Victorian era. Portraits of children, animals, and people holding unusual or period-specific props, like weapons or toys, are also highly sought after.
Pricing often reflects the rarity of the image, both in terms of its size and content. Larger tintypes are less common and usually command higher prices, particularly if they depict one of the aforementioned subjects, bringing higher prices than the more common family portrait. To determine price, search for previous sales of similarly sized images with a comparable depiction, in corresponding condition. Auction results, and sites like eBay, can be good resources for determining price. Always be cognizant that fake tintypes are available, as the process is easy to duplicate. Seek the opinion of a professional appraiser to verify the age and value of a tintype if you’re ever in doubt.
Sources and Further Reading:
Library of Congress’s Introduction on Ambrotypes and Tintypes
Science & Media Museum’s Guide to Spotting a Ferrotype
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
When I first found the negatives that now make up our Trefry collection, they were simply a collection of unmarked glass plates in unlabeled boxes. With nothing to go on but the images themselves, we began investigating the origins of these particular negatives by scouring each negative for clues. Thankfully, the geography and landmarks offer vital information. Many of these negatives include the St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in the background. Another negative (not included in this particular batch but coming soon!) includes a carriage with the label “Farragut House” emblazoned across the top. Thanks to these details, we were able to determine that the majority of these photographs were taken around Rye, New Hampshire, which is home to both the famed church and the historic Farragut House Hotel.
Portrait of style, with a famous church in the background.
After digging around on the Rye Historical Society’s website, we realized that these particular negatives bear a striking resemblance to the work of Clarence Trefry, a local Rye photographer who was active around the turn of the century. While we can’t say for certain that these negatives were taken by him, we’re pretty confident in this hypothesis. (And if you want to check our detective work, you can go to the Rye Historical Society’s website and compare our negatives against theirs.)
We don’t know everything about Mr. Trefry (yet), but we do know a few things, thanks to Ancestry. Trefry was born in 1870, and according to the Rye Historical Society, he made a living as a railroad photographer in New England. In 1900, he married Grace Hyde. Although the couple had a son together, the child died during infancy, and Grace died that same year. It may have been that both mother and son died during childbirth, although we can’t say for sure at this point. Ten years later, Clarence married again. They were together until his wife, Marie, died in 1953. Clarence died five years later, in 1958.
Although this biography is scant, it offers us a small window into the context behind this collection. Judging by the hairstyles and clothing of the subjects (including the short dark dresses that appear to be women’s swimwear), these photographs were most likely taken sometime between 1890 and 1915. So much was happening for Trefry during this particular time: his burgeoning career, his first marriage, the perhaps sudden death of his wife and child. It’s interesting to consider all of the unseen emotions that the photographer was experiencing, perhaps unbeknownst to those he was photographing.
There’s a lot to explore in Trefry’s photographs, from the historic St. Andrew’s church to the story of the Farragut House. Next door to Rye is Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a town that’s known for its vibrant Black history, and in recent decades, Portsmouth has worked hard to publicize these lesser-known histories. It’s likely that Trefry’s work includes members of Portsmouth’s Black community. Trefry’s photographs, which seem to traverse the boundaries of race and class, open up all kinds of conversations, from the politics of Black portraiture to the histories of New England. Those stories and so much more are coming soon.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy Trefry’s photographs. His portraits are both stunning and subversive, especially the ones that cultivate a sense of beauty and dignity for otherwise marginalized individuals. The people who pose for his camera often maintain a cool composure, offering little hints of personality (like bowler hats and pronounced body language) while still keeping their observers at bay. Inviting yet mysterious, stoic yet lively, Trefry’s portraits offer many opportunities for conversation. We look forward to sharing them all with you.
Want to know even more about how to use details like clothing and attire to help you date your old photographs? Head to WorthPoint and keep reading!
Dating Your Vintage Photographs: Women's Clothing Styles
And if you want to know more about what all was going on in the world of photography during Mr. Trefry's career, check out this blog post:
]]>With Women’s History Month already at its close, we at History in Photographs have been thinking about the role of women in early photography, and in particular, two women who are represented within our collection of negatives: Alice Curtis and Martha Hale Harvey. But before we dig into the stories of these two photographers, both of whom were active in the New England area between 1880 and 1920, we’d like to offer you a bit of background on the history of women in photography. Throughout the evolution of the medium, women have received far less attention and analysis than their male peers, which means that there’s often a lot less information available on their lives and work. However, even in photography’s earliest years, women immediately embraced this new technology, pushing the boundaries of the medium right alongside their male counterparts.
Pictorialism & Photo-Secession
As photography gained popularity at the end of the 19th century, a growing number of photographers wanted their medium to be taken more seriously as a fine art. This desire fomented the rise of Pictorialism, a movement within turn-of-the-century photography that embraced the manipulation of photographic materials as a means of greater personal expression.
What set the Pictorialists apart from other photographers was their emphasis on aesthetic intervention. In other words, Pictorialists didn’t want to simply document the world through mechanical means. They wanted to create their own unique vision of it by manipulating their medium in new and distinctive ways. Pictorialist photographers believed these interventions, often done within the darkroom, proved that photography was about more than just replicating a subject’s likeness. By demonstrating the medium’s artistic flexibility, Pictorialists sought to prove that photography should be on the same playing field as painting and sculpture. Pictorialists also attempted to achieve this aim by creating photographs that, in their opinion, bore a greater resemblance to paintings. For this reason, many Pictorialist photographers embraced romantic imagery and the use of soft focus in order to recreate a fine-art aesthetic.
A prominent group of pictorialists, dubbed the Photo-Secession led by Alfred Stieglitz, included many women prominently within the organization. Stieglitz, the husband of Georgia O’Keeffe, was a very famous photographer within the early 20th century and was instrumental in photography’s early decades as a fine art medium. A small group of New York-based photographers founded the Photo-Secession in 1902, which included two women, Gertrude Käsebier and Eva Watson-Schütze.
Gertrude Käsebier came to photography after raising three children, with motherhood and marriage often figuring within her visual narratives (in fact, she hilariously entitled an image of two bound oxen “Yoked and Muzzled – Marriage”). Perhaps her most famous series of images are her portraits of Native Americans, including many Sioux photographed while they were traveling with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. These images show a respect and sensitivity that was, unfortunately, uncommon towards Native Americans at the time.
The other female co-founder of the Photo-Secession was Eva Watson-Schütze, who was known for her striking, soft-focus portraits of female subjects. Based in Chicago, she was one of the few founding members not based in New York, and her career-focused nature was bound closely with feminist ideas of the time. She believed that an artistic reckoning was imminent and that it would have women and photography at its center: “There will be a new era, and women will fly into photography.” While not founders of the movement, many other female photographers of this era were also involved with the Photo-Secession to varying degrees, like Mary Devens, Sarah Ladd, Ann Brigman, and Alice Boughton.
Feminism and feminist beliefs were popular with many of these early female photographers. Alice Boughton was a member of the Photo-Secession and also the New Woman movement, which emphasized a woman’s independence in mind, body, and spirit. New Woman members sought to challenge male-dominated society, asserting that women deserved to be treated as equals and to be seen as artistic peers. In fact, many women in this time period used photography as a means of expressing this independence.
While not directly involved with the Photo-Secession, Zaida Ben-Yusuf was an English-born New Yorker who rose to prominence in the first few decades of the 20th century. She was a highly sought-after portraitist, known for photographing the most famous (and the wealthiest) in America, including future Presidents like Grover Cleveland and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her work was included in just about every major American publication of the era, including The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, and The Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was even a spokeswoman for the Eastman Kodak Company.
Focusing on the Future
While it is easy to see the role women played in the early decades of photography, their contributions are still overlooked, willfully ignored, or simply forgotten even today. At the time, it was often unseemly for women to pursue such a profession, and even once it was no longer taboo, women faced many barriers within the field. Women’s work was regularly referred to as “inferior” and early art historical narratives place much greater emphasis on men. Women’s careers were also subject to the demands of family and relationships, with marriage typically dictating the end of a woman’s professional photography career. Luckily, not all information was lost and many of the wonderful images shot by these photographers still exist. In the 21st century, we have seen a movement towards repairing the damage caused by the art historical canon’s almost exclusively male emphasis.
Here at HIP, we’re excited to continue the conversation about women in photography and to help elevate their role within the public consciousness. Keep your eyes peeled—we’ll have more images and more stories of women photographers coming soon.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, fine art appraiser, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When taking a break from art she enjoys science-fiction novels, trail running, and quilting.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
The Eastman Kodak Company
In the 1880s, George Eastman was developing a commercially viable portable camera that used flexible film instead of large glass plates to produce still photographs. Introduced in 1888, the “Kodak Camera” was one of the first mass-produced film cameras on the market. Retailing for $25 (about $692 today), it came preloaded with a 100-exposure roll of film and produced circular images roughly 2 ⅝” in diameter. This distinctive image shape makes it easy to identify images that were created with this Original Kodak, also known as the Kodak 540. Since film development had yet to become widespread, photographers had to mail the entire device back to Kodak to have the film developed and the enlargements (or prints) made. Its successor, the Kodak No. 1, was very similar but had a different shutter mechanism. Both were fixed aperture and somewhat unreliable but remained available until 1895 when production shifted to developing and manufacturing a new model – the Kodak Brownie.
The Kodak Brownie made photography accessible for a much wider audience than ever before. Sold for $1 (about $31 today), the Brownie was the first camera to be mass-produced and marketed to the middle class. It was an instant hit. Thousands of cameras were sold, which put the power of photography into the hands of amateurs and artists alike. The Brownie used a different shutter mechanism than its predecessors and did not require that Kodak handle all aspects of development and printing. It was the most straight-forward, consumer-friendly camera yet, so much so that it inspired a new slogan: “You press the button, we do the rest.”
This ease of use translated into widespread popularity for the Brownie. In the 1890s and into the early years of the 20th century, photography became a national craze for Americans. “Kodak” entered the public lexicon and was used in many different forms. For instance, the term “Kodaking” became another word for “photographing,” and photo enthusiasts wielding a Kodak camera were often dubbed “Kodakers.” Amateurs took to the medium like wildfire, quickly forming photography clubs and associated magazines. No longer bound to only commemorating life’s biggest moments at great cost, amateurs led photography into the cultural vernacular by taking photos of everyday life and giving us glimpses into what was valued and important to people of the past.
In these early days of amateur photography, photographers were drawn to many of the subjects still enjoyed by today’s artists and amateurs. Important life events like weddings, annual parades, and parties were common subjects. People who could afford to travel often documented their adventures. Those less affluent often took photographs of their towns and nearby areas, capturing parts of life that hereto may have been overlooked within the medium. As the leisure class continued to expand, they snapped photos of the seaside and picnics, gatherings, and holidays. During this time, we also see photographs of babies and children, homes, and their interiors. Yes, people even took pet pics back then.
This era also saw a rise in more artfully posed portraits. In the 1890s and early 1900s, one particularly widespread trend was photographing subjects from behind. Typically shot in a reverse of ¾ profile, we often see women photographed with their back to the camera, their head turned over their shoulder with their face somewhat visible. In a similar vein, we see many images of individuals and couples shot from behind within a landscape, their bodies turned completely away from the camera, much like images we often see today of people visiting National Parks or taking in sweeping vistas abroad.
As photography became increasingly widespread, practitioners and critics alike began to debate the status of photography as an artistic medium. Differentiated from other arts by their unique equipment and materials, professional photographers of this era argued that photography was still an artistic medium in spite of their mechanical processes. A few decades later, in the 1920s and 30s, many documentary photographers like Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, and Dorothea Lange, proved that the medium’s documentary capabilities were by no means a barrier to its equally breathtaking artistry. As the medium continued to evolve in its technological sophistication and creative prowess, photography gradually secured its place in the art world.
Color Photography, 35mm Film & Beyond
Inspired by the popularity of the Brownie, other individuals and companies started to develop new photographic technologies. In 1912, Rudolf Fischer and Hans Siegrist developed a color film process that ultimately paved the way for the advent of Kodachrome, which was the first iteration of color film. In 1913, 35mm film was introduced and quickly became an industry standard after Leica introduced their first cameras. 35mm went on to become the most popular means of shooting film photography for roughly 60 years, only winding down (pun intended) with the introduction of commercial digital photography. Kodak would go on to continue introducing new technologies, like new generations of film, Super Glue, and the first digital camera.
Since 1880, photography itself has become part of the fabric of everyday life, no longer bound to film, and accessible to nearly everyone today thanks to the rise of smartphones. So snap another photo of your dog and share it with everyone you know. It’s what your artistic forefathers would have wanted.
Megan Shepherd is a curator, fine art appraiser, freelance writer, and artist. She has worked in fine art museums for a decade and holds two master’s degrees in the field. When taking a break from art she enjoys science-fiction novels, trail running and quilting.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
Thanks to her expertise as an appraiser, Jane offers a unique perspective on the art (and the business) of collecting photographs. During our interview, Jane shared what her profession has taught her about collecting:
HIP: Why don’t you introduce yourself for our readers, Jane?
JC: I’m Jane Cofer, and I was born and raised in Atlanta. I left to go to school at RISD. After that I spent ten years working in New York and during that time, I worked in television, specifically as a producer for various commercials. I came back to Atlanta in 2000 and that’s when I decided to become an art appraiser. And here I am now, twenty years later, still working in the business.
HIP: How did you make that shift from artist to art appraiser?
JC: I realized after art school that I wasn’t totally cut out to be an artist. Quite frankly, I wanted more financial stability and working in television gave me that. But through it all, I always collected photographs. Jane Jackson of the Jackson Fine Art Gallery here in Atlanta really mentored me as a collector and encouraged me to turn those skills into a profession. She set me up with a job at the High Museum. This was all happening when “Antiques Roadshow” was really getting big, and I thought, how hard could it be? It wasn’t until I started taking classes in the methodology of appraising that I learned about everything it entailed. For instance, there are certain documents you need to draft and certain pieces of information insurance companies need. There are a lot of formalities in the appraisal process. It’s not like people call me over to their houses and I can just look at something and give them a number. There’s much more to the process. Plus, now I have twenty years of experience. I’ve learned a lot about appraising just by doing it.
HIP: Tell us more about the formal process of an appraisal. Where do you even begin?
JC: It starts with a phone call. Someone tells me they have a photograph that needs an appraisal. They also tell us why they need it. For instance, you might need an appraisal so you can insure the item. We always start off by giving an estimate of how long it will take. Different appraisers do it differently, but an hourly rate is usually best because it stays within ethical boundaries. For instance, it prevents an appraiser from charging more to appraise something like, say, a Picasso. An hourly rate is a way of guaranteeing fairness on my part. From there, I inspect the piece in person and take lots of notes. Then I research the item, which might involve contacting auction houses or galleries to get a verified history of the item’s selling price. You really need to know the history and the complexities of what you’re looking at. Once I complete my research, I write a formal appraisal document, and I use a specific language that’s required by insurers and appraiser associations.
HIP: It sounds like you’re creating a legal document.
JC: That’s exactly what it is. And it’s under the same level of confidentiality as a fiduciary transaction. There’s definitely a level of legal professionalism in appraising.
HIP: What else goes into the appraisal process?
JC: Well, it’s important to know the purpose of the appraisal. For instance, if you’re appraising an item for insurance purposes, then you need to find out the retail value. If you’re appraising a piece for a charitable donation (if someone is donating a photograph to an exhibition or to an institution), then you need to know the fair market value.
HIP: What are the main reasons why people seek out appraisals?
JC: Getting a piece insured is a big one. Charitable donations are also big. People also seek out appraisals when they’re putting together their will and want to know what they have.
HIP: What are some of the most interesting appraisals that you’ve done?
JC: You know, I’d say that my favorite appraisals are for collections that were clearly put together with a lot of passion. And it doesn’t have to be a collection that has a lot of value. Just working on them is really inspiring. It’s fun to hear a collector walk me through their collection and tell me the story of each piece. Of course, I have a passion for photography, so I love a good photography collection. It’s so much fun to discover work that I didn’t know about or to see an artist’s work in a new context. That’s always exciting for me. I love that I get to learn something new in the process. Seeing other people’s collections inspires me to think outside the box and gives me new ideas for what I want to do with my own collection.
HIP: In your opinion, what makes a really outstanding collection of photographs?
JC: Anything that’s put together out of a passion, or a collection that reflects a different way of seeing. When you meet collectors like that, you can tell it was never about the money. They collect because they’re excited about what they see, and you can tell it’s a collection of love. Just listening to someone get excited about their collection is great. Plus, it’s just fun to see how a person’s collection really fits into their home or how it fits them as a person. It’s almost like the person matches their collection. It’s just so genuine and natural. You can really see the passion behind what they do.
HIP: What has your work career in appraisal taught you about collecting? How has your professional life influenced your personal collecting?
JC: Well, it’s helped me understand how collecting is a balance of passion and connoisseurship. For instance, I have a photograph by Elliott Erwitt. I’ve always loved his work, and I’ve appraised a lot of his modern prints. In photography, you have a vintage print, which is made around the same time as the negative, and then you have a modern print, which might still be done by the artist but it’s made a lot later. Erwitt is one of those photographers who never made vintage editions of their prints. That started happening later in the 1970s and really caught on with Ansel Adams. I love this photograph in particular because it’s one of those rare vintage prints. I love the photograph itself, but there’s also all this extra information on the back of the print, which helps verify its authenticity as an older, vintage print. You can see it has his signature, the title, the date, and his personal stamp. There are also notes from the printing of the negative, some other notations, and a stamp from the famous Magnum Photos agency, which Erwitt was a member of. There are all these other interesting characteristics that make it more than just a photograph. They make the photograph extra special and give it more value.
That perspective on photography has shaped my own collection. I collect photographs of women and girls, but I don’t want just any photograph. Now I look for these kinds of details. I think being an appraiser has made me more thoughtful about my choices. I still buy what I love, but now I’m more aware of these other elements. It’s another level of things to look for beyond the aesthetics. But of course, a collection always starts with the aesthetics. Before anything else, you need to feel attracted to a certain image. You should love the beauty of a photograph before you start worrying about that additional stuff.
HIP: Do you have any advice for people who are just getting into collecting photographs? Are there any big do’s or don’t’s?
JC: I think the biggest thing is to look, look, look. Go to museum shows, go to galleries, look in books. Really, what you need to do is train your eye to seeing art. And you’re not just seeing, you’re also learning. You learn about where the artist is from and what they were doing. There’s a lot of research. It’s a matter of improving your taste and knowing a lot about what you’re looking at. But at the same time, there are different ways of expressing your feelings about art. It’s good to learn, but it’s also okay to have a gut reaction to a piece. It’s okay to love something just because it hits you in your gut. Sometimes, your feelings are bigger than words and you just need to go with your instincts. That’s my advice: Go see things. Galleries are stores. Gallerists know a lot and they love to talk about their pieces, so they’re happy to answer questions.
HIP: Are there any big don’t’s? Are there certain pitfalls to avoid?
JC: I think the biggest mistake that people make is getting caught up in trends. Collecting should be a personal journey. Don’t buy something just because other people are buying it or because it’ll look good with your sofa and drapes. Your living room can be rearranged or repainted, but buying a piece is a big commitment. You want art that can endure. Have the courage to buy what speaks to you and don’t get caught up in trends.
HIP: I want to talk more about the value of prints versus the value of negatives. Most people assign more value to prints than they do to negatives. Can you say a bit more about that?
JC: It’s always been interesting to me that negatives don’t have a lot of value. One of my internships in college was at a place called Art and Commerce, and they represented all these photographers I’d just die for, like Annie Leibovitz and Helmut Newton. One of my jobs was to organize Steven Meisel’s negatives. It made me realize you need to go through a lot of shots before you get, you know, the one.
That’s a big reason why the positive has so much more value, because the artist has chosen it out of all their negatives. They’ve committed to it, they’ve made prints, and they’ve put them out into the world to see. Really, a print is the product of a lot of trial and error. The value of negatives is pretty minimal compared to that. But, the value that negatives do have comes from their ability to reveal the process that the photographer went through. The negative shows how these famous photographers like Annie Leibovitz or Helmut Newton didn’t just go out there and take one amazing shot. You get to see the whole process, which might be why most negatives typically end up in more institutional settings. Negatives have archival value.
HIP: How do you appraise a photograph if you don’t know who took it? Or, if you don’t know whether it’s a vintage print or a modern print?
JC: That definitely happens. Sometimes you’ll have an artist’s signature, but it’s just too messy for you to read. In that situation, you want to start by deciphering the medium. For instance, is it a photogravure? Is it a silver gelatin print? Then, you want to search for comparables. You want to figure out the context of the image. For instance, what’s the subject? When was it taken? And, how does it compare with other images that were being taken at the time? If you can find similar photographs and find out what they’re worth, then you can get a sense for what a photograph is worth, even if you don’t know everything about it.
HIP: In your opinion, as an appraiser and as a photographer, how do the older processes of darkroom printing compare to what we can do with digital methods?
JC: Well, that really takes you back to the whole question of vintage prints versus modern prints. That reminds me of when I wanted to buy a photograph by Abelardo Morell. When it first came to market, it was a silver gelatin print. But when I got the invoice, they said it was going to be an inkjet print, and I was upset about it. That said, the digital print had his endorsement, but still, I really wanted my silver gelatin print.
Here’s the thing: Whether it was conscious or not, the photographer was taking the photograph with the knowledge that he’d have to be using a certain process for making the print. He was taking that photograph with the silver gelatin process in mind. So, a digital print is going to take on a whole new modern life, one that’s different from what the photographer originally imagined. It’s a way of revisiting an image but in a new way. During a digital process, you may be going back and cleaning the image or scanning it differently. It’s a different interpretation of the photographer’s original work.
HIP: It’s like a literary translation. Different translators will have different interpretations. The translation becomes a work of art in itself.
JC: Yeah, definitely. You’re putting a modern stamp on it and making it a new thing.
HIP: What are some of your favorite photographs that are in your personal collection?
JC: I recently bought a Richard Learoyd. He’s a British photographer and he does camera obscura portraits. This one is of a woman named Agnes, who he’s photographed for years. You can really feel their special relationship in this photo. And since it’s camera obscura, she has to hold that pose for a long time, which is interesting to me.
I also just got one of my favorite Cartier-Bresson photographs, one that I’ve coveted for so long. To me, this is just the ultimate photograph. It’s called Gold Rush, Shanghai, and you can see these people just rushing the bank to get their money before Mao came. But to me, the framing of the image is so powerful. You can really feel all the bodies that are squeezed in there, and you can see all of these different facial expressions too.
HIP: There’s a lot of emotion in such a small, contained space.
JC: It’s just great.
HIP: Any other favorites?
JC: I’ll show you a few more. I get so excited. This one is by Rineke Dijkstra, who’s known for taking large portraits. Mine is of a little girl who looks so commanding on her scooter. I just happened to come across this photograph right around the time my father passed away. I kept going back and forth about whether I should get it. And then, when I did finally get it, I saw it had my father’s endorsement on it, with the little “love Pop” inscription on the scooter. It seems silly, but when you talk about different layers of emotional response to an image, that’s an example of it.
HIP: The story of the photograph is also a story about you.
JC: That’s right. I also like how this photographer creates images that are reminiscent of other artworks. With this one, the background sort of looks like a Monet painting.
My last one is a self-portrait by Zanele Muholi (they/them), who is a South African photographer. Muholi started out with a series called “Faces and Phases,” which documents LGBTQ people in South Africa. Muholi chose the title for the series because of how people are always saying being gay is “just a phase.” Muholi also does self-portraits in which they wear various costumes based on whatever materials are available. In this one, Muholi is posing in their apartment, and these tubes on their head are actually tubes from the washing machine and dryer. And there are also rolls of tape on their head too, and the stripes in the background are made out of toilet paper. It’s meant to be a tribute to Muholi’s mother, who was a domestic worker in South Africa. Actually, we had a party at my house in honor of Muholi and they actually were here. Muholi wanted to make a self-portrait in my home (pictured below). At the time, it was around Halloween so they took these Halloween decorations from our yard and some cardboard and put it all in their hair. I found out later that this self-portrait is also in Jay-Z’s office in New York.
HIP: It’s so interesting how Muholi uses elements of their environment as part of the portrait.
JC: I knew I wanted to own some of their work after I saw “Faces and Phases.” I love a good portrait, and I could just tell that there was a level of empathy and communication between this photographer and their subjects. At first, I was a little hesitant. I wasn’t sure what owning a picture like this would say about me. It’s the kind of photograph some people might find controversial. But I decided to just go for it. It goes back to the whole courage thing. When you collect, you are putting yourself out there in a particular way, and people might draw all kinds of conclusions about you. You need to be willing to own your decisions and not care what others think. You need to collect for yourself and you need to do it because it makes you happy. You can’t care what others think.
HIP: What is it about portraits in particular that speak to you?
JC: You know, I’m not sure. My daughter thinks I’m crazy. She says it’s creepy to have a bunch of strangers staring at you.
HIP: I never thought about it that way, but actually, that makes sense. I guess it is creepy.
JC: When I was first collecting, I thought I was going to do it differently. For one thing, I never thought I’d buy any color photography, and two, I never thought I’d get any portraits. I was like, why would I have all these other people just hanging around in my house? It’s funny though. When I first found out that I was having a daughter, something just changed in me. I suddenly wanted portraits of girls. I think it’s because good portraits really speak to people. A good portrait can convey so much empathy, even with a simple gesture. I mean, in Zanele’s portrait, there’s all this strength and beauty and vulnerability. And the girl on the scooter -- in that one moment, she looks so proud of what she has. She’s so proud of her scooter. And in the Learoyd photograph, Agnes looks so peaceful, but I also wonder what she’s thinking while she’s posing and what’s happening with her inner life. Those reactions just started happening for me. Portraits began to reach out and grab me.
HIP: How does someone take a good portrait? How does the photographer make the magic happen?
JC: The ability to take a good portrait really is a gift. I don’t know if I can explain it. Obviously the photographer has to have some kind of connection with the subject. But with the girl in the park, Dijkstra just asked if she wanted to be in a photograph. I think that’s where you see the gift for taking a good portrait, that ability to see something in a particular way. Maybe it’s just about being in the right place at the right time and knowing how to capture a decisive moment. I wish I knew for sure.
HIP: Is there a difference between appraising pieces of photojournalism versus fine art photography? On the one hand, you could say that a good picture is a good picture, and it might not matter why it was taken. But on the other hand, does the intent have some influence on value?
JC: It’s interesting. You have photographers like Cartier-Bresson or Elliott Erwitt who really pushed photojournalism to this new level of artistry and who cross over in their own way. But often, there does seem to be a price distinction. A work by a documentary photographer can be valued less than a photograph that’s considered fine art. Then again, the whole pricing thing just blows my mind.
HIP: Any other words of wisdom as we conclude?
JC: This conversation has made me think about something my dad used to say. He would always tell me, “Only one percent of people are really, truly curious.” I think there’s something to that. I think we are losing our sense of curiosity, our willingness to ask questions, and the desire to really understand people. It’s so important we keep looking at the world in new ways, and art allows us to do that. Art helps us stay curious. We need to hold onto that.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com.
]]>“See those kids right there? That’s what I used to do.” Larry Kellogg is referring to a photograph of a dozen or so children unloading a massive container full of circus gear.
“I was one of those kids who never cared about sports or anything. As early as I can remember, I just loved the circus. And when the circus would come to town, I’d be there. I’d help put up the tent to earn a free ticket. Then, after the circus left town, I’d go around to all the stores and ask if I could have their circus posters. Back then, my bedroom walls were covered with circus posters.”
You can still hear the youthful zeal in Larry Kellogg’s voice. He’s an expert on circus memorabilia thanks to his long career in the circus industry. For more than three decades, Larry worked as a publicist for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and he also worked as Communications Manager for the show’s theme park in Florida. For the last 50 years, Larry has done research and consulting for the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota. As I began trying to figure out the stories behind the various circus negatives we have at History in Photographs, I knew that Larry was the expert to ask.
Then again, it’s not Larry’s trove of knowledge that I most enjoy. It’s his palpable circus love that really conveys the story of these images.
“Lots of kids would show up and work for a free ticket, and we did all kinds of things,” Larry explains. “One year, I helped lace up the tent. I had to stitch together two big sections of fabric.”
Something about this statement seems incredulous to me: a child stitching together a colossal tent? I ask Larry how old he would have been when he performed such a crucial job.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he says. “Maybe 11, 12, 13?”
Cleary the circus heyday was a different era and in more ways than one. The Ringling Brothers and P.T. Barnum began their respective traveling shows in the late 19th century, well before the advent of all the things we associate with entertainment today.
“The circus was the number one pop culture event of the time,” Larry explains. “That was it. It was popular music. It was the precursor to the movies. It was everything.”
“That’s why you see so many circus photos,” Larry adds. “There were professional photographers in different towns and of course they’re always looking for new things to photograph. When the circus comes, you have to shoot that.”
And it wasn’t just the show itself that drew spectators. “Back in the 1930s and 40s, simply watching the circus arrive was a big deal. Thousands of people would show up to watch them unload off the trains.”
The arrival still managed to draw crowds even in the show’s twilight years. “Back in the 1990s, I flew up to New York City because people kept telling me that I just had to see the circus unload there. It’s special because when they unload, the animals walk under the tunnel and come out in Manhattan. I mean, it’s midnight and you have all these camels and elephants walking through the tunnel and into the city. There are thousands of people out in the middle of the night just watching as the animals make their way to Madison Square Garden.”
Watching the arrival was just the beginning. “There was also a daily street parade. It was like an advertisement. That’s what we’re seeing here,” Larry says, referring to a series of photographs that feature elaborate floats with scenes of Ancient Egypt and China.
“They stopped doing the daily street parade in the 1920s because that was when towns started paving their streets,” Larry adds, referring to the dirt roads in various parade photos. “There were wagons that weighed tons and had steel wheels, so sometimes the floats would actually break the pavement.” (Click here to read more about the largest wagon in the world, which required 40 horses to move.)
“These wagons were introduced for the first time in 1903,” Larry explains. “They were beautiful, made of hand-carved wood. You can still see some of the original wagons at the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota and at the World Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin.”
Awe for the circus animals was another motivator for circus photographers. “People in small towns hadn’t seen an elephant before,” Larry explains. “They hadn’t seen any of these animals because they didn’t have zoos. It was all new to them.”
“There was an aftershow too,” Larry adds. “People could pay extra to remain in their seats and see an additional act, usually some kind of western. The aftershow often had big names attached so people would want to stay.”
Oddly enough, the circus and the photographic medium seemed to tread parallel paths, growing together and influencing each other. Photography was becoming widespread around the time the circus was born, and the medium enhanced the spectacle experience. Some of the most common forms of circus photography were the cabinet card and the carte de visite, which were small photographs of individual performers that were sold as souvenirs. (Click here for Larry’s discussion of these two formats.)
Photographs were especially lucrative for the circus sideshow. “You’d pay twenty-five cents to get into the sideshow and that’s where you’d see certain acts like the Giant and the Sword-Swallower. Each of them would have a platform and they’d sell postcards of themselves. You could buy a postcard of the Siamese Twins. You could buy a postcard of the Fire-Eater. Each person sold things for extra money.”
P.T. Barnum even had a permanent museum in New York City, which just happened to be right across the street from Mathew Brady’s famed portrait studio. When Barnum’s performers needed their picture taken, all they had to do was cross the street. Today, those types of postcards typically sell for around $100.
Other circus photos include large glossy images used for publicity. “Those only sell for around $5 each,” Larry adds. “They’re not worth as much.”
The most valuable circus photos were taken behind the scenes. “All the performers had cameras and those photos are one of a kind,” Larry explains, “Say I’m a performer taking snapshots in the backyard. I go to a local studio, get my set of prints, and that’s it. There aren’t anymore. It’s just that set.”
Behind-the-scenes snapshots are valuable because they offer a unique window into the unseen dimensions of circus culture. “Those types of shots weren’t of the performance, but of the backyard where people were doing laundry or washing their hair or playing checkers,” Larry explains. “Those are the ones that collectors seem to be really interested in.”
All in all, circus photos can range in value from a few dollars to a few thousand. Like most photographs, a circus photograph is more valuable if it was printed around the time it was taken. “For instance, Edward J. Kelty would take pictures of the performers and make the prints in time to sell them back to the performers before they left town,” Larry explains. Those vintage Kelty prints have sold for thousands of dollars. (Read more about Kelty and other famous circus photographers here.)
That example sums up the most important elements to look for when you’re on the market for circus photographs. When it comes to figuring out the value of circus photographs, there are three big variables to keep in mind: the age of a photograph, behind-the-scenes subject matter, and rarity. The most valuable photographs are vintage prints that offer a one-of-a-kind view into the hidden lives of circus performers.
“This is a typical backyard. You see that tent in the background? The one marked band?” Larry says, referring to an image of zebras and tents. “That’s where the band would hang out and play cards when they weren’t performing. And that woman sitting in the foreground with her back turned? She was probably just a towner.” The term refers to people who lived in town and were paid to help out. Although the circus had roughly 1,000 crew employees who traveled with the performers, they still took on extra workers from town to town.
Although Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey had its last performance in 2017, the buzz for circus memorabilia is still strong. Back in January, the Freedom Auction Company sold over $200,000 in circus collectibles. It’s a sign that circus zeal is still alive and well. Then again, you can tell that much just by talking to Larry and hearing the sound of his voice as he describes how he felt about the circus as a kid. His career and expertise are signs of the joy he takes in collecting.
“See that kid?” Larry says, referring to a photograph of a little boy walking alongside a procession of elephants and circus employees. “That’s me too.”
Larry Kellogg is WorthPoint’s Circus Memorabilia Worthologist. If you’re interested in plumbing the depths of his expertise, you can find his many WorthPoint articles here.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
]]>The good news? History in Photographs is a collection of over 50,000 photographic negatives, and as we continue to plumb the depths of our sprawling collection, we’re going to be sharing our favorite finds right here with you. And, if our work inspires you to start a collection of your own, negatives are relatively cheap to buy. You can usually purchase dozens of them for less than $30 online or at estate sales.
The bad news? Negatives are pretty much worthless (hence the dirt-cheap price point), especially compared to the prices you’ll see for vintage photographic prints.
When I first dove into the world of collecting, the (relatively) valueless nature of negatives blew my mind, and it required some explaining. After I sat down to hear an expert’s opinion, the situation made a bit more sense.
Think of it this way: A negative is only half of the photographic process. While snapping a picture requires a wide range of artistic choices, like composition and exposure, the darkroom process requires a whole different set of artistic decisions, and those decisions play an equally crucial role in a photograph’s final presentation. In other words, producing a decent negative is just the beginning.
The darkroom process is also special because it reflects the photographer’s own preferences about their work. A photographer takes many, many photographs before they get to that one masterful shot, and a final print is the product of all that artistic trial and error. Because a photographic print is the summation of so many judgments on the photographer’s part, it has more value than a glut of negatives that are probably of varying quality. A print represents the best of the best, which is why it has so much value. (If you want to know more about the value of negatives and hear a professional perspective on photo collecting, you should definitely check out my interview with fine art appraiser, Jane Cofer.)
These explanations certainly make sense to me, but even so, I just can’t shake my desire to collect negatives.
Quite frankly, I blame my schooling. In the world of film studies, scholars and critics love to pick apart the concept of the photographic index, and when I went to college, I fell in love with those discussions. The index is how we describe a photograph’s relationship to the real world. A photograph is special because its creation requires the existence of an actual object or individual who once stood before the camera’s lens. Just as a footprint is a trace of the one who once walked along a certain stretch of beach, or a spinning weathervane is a trace of the wind, so too is a photographic image a trace of what once was, an imprint of the real created by chemistry and light (you can thank Charles Sanders Peirce for those poetic comparisons).
Of course, the concept of the photographic index gets complicated for all kinds of reasons (and believe me, the facets of that discussion stray well beyond the scope of this particular post). However, in spite of photography’s many evolutions and interpretive frameworks, the photograph still manages to have an irrepressible connection to our sense of reality. Even in our digital era, at a time when the extent of image manipulation seems more obvious than ever, a photograph still has the power to jar us, shock us, spur us to action.
For me, the photograph’s alluring (and illusive) relationship to reality is why I get so excited about negatives, even if most collectors and dealers don’t feel the same way. A negative has a tactile, physical quality that seems so emotionally charged, so full of power as a potential witness to our world. There’s something thrilling to me about carefully unspooling a roll of film or delicately inspecting a glass plate. It’s the physicality that does it for me, a sensation of superhuman, time-defying power, like saving a footprint from the shifting sand or holding onto the wind. Photographs may not be as transparent as we like to believe, but even so, that myth, that promise of hanging onto what once was and the seductive, swelling conviction that I have the power to see the world clearly -- all of those emotions stir up my love of negatives.
That said, I harbor other personal reasons for loving the material pleasures of a negative. In addition to my work at HIP, I’m a filmmaker, and I love to work with 16mm film. Something about the tactile experience of film makes me feel so deeply connected to the photographic artists who came before me. When I load the magazine of a 16mm camera or develop my own stills in my kitchen sink, I think about all the great filmmakers who have done the same.
If those warm fuzzies are lost on you, consider the artists who are doing really excellent work with reappropriated negatives. One of my favorites is Linda Connor, who has created radiant prints of the night sky from glass plate negatives that were originally made at the Lick Observatory in the late nineteenth century. Andreas Olesen is another artist who utilizes the infinite artistic potential of a good negative. Their work demonstrates that a negative has all kinds of value if you know what to do with it.
Besides, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the often strange and always exciting world of collecting, it’s that objects have value because we say so. Photographic negatives may not be all the rage now, but that doesn’t have to stop us from turning them into the next big thing.
Still not convinced that it’s worth your time to collect negatives? Check out what HIP’s founder, Will Seippel, has to say about it. Of course, we’re more than a little biased on this particular topic, but that doesn’t stop us from having a great time.
References
Charles Sanders Peirce, The Essential Peirce: Selected Philosophical Writings. Vol. 1. Ed. Nathan Houser and Christian Kloesel. Bloomington: Indiana up, 1992.
For a brief introduction of the concept of the photographic index, we recommend this piece by Mary Ann Doane.
Who better to offer advice about how to build a collection that’s both valuable and personally fulfilling? Last week, I sat down with Will to discuss the kernels of wisdom that helped him create his pride and joy:
You’re allowed to be picky.
As collectors, we often get caught up in our regrets. Every collector has their stories about the ones that got away: the deals they didn’t seize, the amazing pieces they didn’t win. When you’re searching for that perfect, one-of-a-kind item, the slightest hesitation can have serious consequences. But after decades of collecting, Will has developed a different perspective on letting a good photograph go.
“Photographs are literally a dime a dozen,” he explains. “Everyone takes them, and everyone holds onto them.”
Simply put, the vast majority of photographs that are floating around estate sales and eBay were probably taken by amateurs who didn’t prioritize artistry or composition. (And if you don’t believe me, just scroll through the glut of average photos that you’ve accumulated on your smartphone.) Since most photographs are taken by amateurs, it’s safe to assume that not every photograph is worth your money. You don’t need to purchase the first exciting photographs you find, especially when you’re still learning about the process.
“I thought I had a pretty good eye when I started out,” Will adds. “But the more I got into it, the better my taste became.” If the perfect photograph slips through your fingers, cheer up. There will always be other photographs, and by the time you find them, your taste will probably be better than it is now. You’re allowed to hold out for images that are truly special. The hunt may be a long one, but it’ll give your eye some extra time to improve.
Pay attention and ask questions.
When you’re buying any kind of collectible, knowing the history of the piece is essential for determining its value. But for photographs and negatives, there are certain questions that are especially important. Don’t settle for a first-glance introduction to an image. Take your time and ask lots of questions.
“Make sure to ask the seller about the camera that was used,” Will explains. “Ask about the film and the lenses. If a photographer used good film and a good camera, you’re more likely to have good negatives.” Whatever tools the photographer used will have a big impact on the quality of a print or negative. Knowing about those tools will help you create a better assessment of an image’s value.
Camera choices aren’t the only variables to consider. You should also inquire about the storage conditions of your potential purchase. Different temperatures and environments influence the aging process, especially with negatives. Cool, dry climates are optimal for film preservation, while heat and humidity can produce warping and other distortions.
“Oftentimes, an online seller will say that a negative is perfect,” Will explains. “Usually that’s because they’re not sure of what they have, or they just don’t know what to look for.”
Before you buy, make sure you ask about storage details. Closely inspect a print or negative for oily fingerprints, peeling emulsion, and other signs of damage. If a seller can’t offer any information about storage conditions or camera specs, your purchase could include some amount of risk. Then again, if an item is too gorgeous to pass up, then it just might be worth it. In any case, learn about the variables that could might you print or your negative before you decide to buy.
Focus on the photograph, not the photographer.
“When I was putting HIP together, I was looking for a certain type of perspective,” Will explains. “To me, good perspective and composition matter a lot more than whether the photographer was a professional or not.”
As you build your collection, consider your priorities as a collector. Think about the images, subjects, and perspectives you’re hoping to own, and if you see something that suits your standards, buy it, even if it was made by a no-name photographer.
“Honestly, I’ve seen lots of bad photographs taken by professionals,” Will adds. “To me, it doesn’t matter if the photographer is an amateur. What matters is if they have a good eye.”
Another bonus of buying from an unknown photographer? You just might be the one to discover the next big name in photography.
Develop an eye for interesting details.
In a market that’s swamped with photographs, be on the lookout for interesting details that might set an image apart. “I know some collectors who are really into portraits of men with beards,” Will explains. “Others people get really into pictures of pets. Others collect images of old buildings, especially if they’re from the 19th century when people were taking mostly portraits.”
When you find yourself feeling drawn to a particular photograph or negative, ask yourself about which specific elements are catching your eye. “Let’s say you have a picture of a little kid,” Will explains. “Well, is it just a picture of a kid, or there something special? Is she carrying a sand bucket? Is she wearing a certain type of dress?” These kinds of details create hints about a photograph’s specific context and provide evidence about the history of the image. Because it’s the little things that truly tell the story of an image, keep your eyes peeled for good details.
Focusing on a specific set of details can also give more cohesion to your collection. If something like wallpaper patterns or clothing styles are interesting to you, they’re probably interesting to someone else too, which can increase your chances of reselling items and turning a profit.
Get close to the source, even if you have to get a little dirty.
“I believe that the best finds are still in peoples’ homes,” Will explains. “Auction houses and flea markets are only a fraction of what’s really out there.” In your search for photos and negatives, get as close to the source as you can. While estate sales are always a good place to start, Will admits there are other tactics for finding the gems that people often throw away. After a loved one passes away, it’s common for family members to try to deal with an estate as quickly as possible. Since loved ones often don’t know the real value of a collection or even their old family photo albums, excellent photographs can wind up in the trash. “I’m definitely not above dumpster diving,” Will says with a grin. “It’s a sport for me.”
Buy the best items you can afford.
“A photograph has to be extremely valuable if it’s going to be worth something despite any wear and tear,” Will explains. “Most prints and negatives just aren’t special enough to offset any damage.” Whenever you come across warped negatives or torn photographs, think twice before you spend too much money on them. Restoring images is a costly process, and it probably outweighs the value of the item. Then again, it’s hard to say no to pieces that stir your soul and get stuck in your head, which leads us to our next point.
Buy what you love.
Here at HIP, we’ve said this piece of advice before, but we’ll say it again for good measure. “I think people need to get back to what they love,” Will explains. “That’s what makes the process enjoyable.” No matter what you’re purchasing, your collection is just that: your collection. The practice of collecting will become a true joy if you devote yourself to the items you love.
Go ahead. Get started.
Losing a little money will help you learn a lesson that you won’t forget. “There’s no better way to learn than to buy something and make a mistake,” Will laughs. “As soon as I buy something, I try to figure out if I bought smart or if I bought stupid. And if I bought stupid, I try to figure out how to do better in the future.”
Still curious? Check out interview with Will to learn more about becoming a joyful collector.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
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Rule #1: Collect what you love.
Most collectors agree on this point. If you’re going to get into collecting, you should collect what you love, not what you think will make you rich. While many would-be collectors fantasize about buying a piece that could eventually pay off their mortgage, these types of success stories are few and far between. The truly successful collector is one who surrounds herself with what she loves and derives joy from her collection. Being a collector is about relishing the pleasure of hanging a new purchase on your wall and enjoying its beauty every day. The process is only fun if you collect what you love. Otherwise, collecting will quickly become an expensive chore, and you’ll lose whatever spark initially drew you to photography.
Rule #2: Become an expert.
Learn about the history of photography, especially the styles and trends that pique your interest. Whether you’re drawn to portraits or early street photography, read as much as you can. Let your studies span from art history to price guides and auction records so that you can develop a better sense of pricing. Some excellent starting points include John Szarkowski’s The Photographer’s Eye, websites for various auction houses, and the Association of International Photography Art Dealers.
As you begin your studies, you’ll quickly learn that research is a lot easier if you’re studying images that interest you. Art collection expert Susan Theran notes that the research process occurs naturally and easily if you’re studying what you love. This makes Rule #1 all the more important. If you’re collecting what you love, your research will be a joy, not a homework assignment.
Rule #3: Look at lots of photographs.
Lee D. Witkin, whose famed Witkin Gallery shaped the field of photography collection and whose book The Photograph Collector’s Guide remains one of the most important titles on the topic, agreed that a collector should go with their gut when it comes to purchasing a photograph. That said, Witkin added that it’s best if your gut can be as informed as possible.
To cultivate good taste, look at lots of photographs. Learn from the greats. Even if prohibitive travel expenses or a global pandemic prevent you from visiting in person, you can still access some of the world’s best photographs via online collections. MoMA and the Met are great places to begin. Create a new daily routine. Enjoy gorgeous photographs over your morning coffee or on your lunch break. Your taste will improve, and your days will get easier.
Rule #4: Know the story.
Susan Theran explains that a photographic print may come with its own story which will impact its value. This story, also known as the provenance, is the history of the print, and it can include all kinds of information. For instance, has the print won any awards? When was the print originally made? Who previously owned the print? Where has it been displayed?
As you dig into the history of a particular photograph, it’s also important to figure out the story of the print’s creation. The number of prints that are made from a specific negative (called the edition) will influence the value of the prints. If a print comes from a smaller edition (for instance, if it’s just one of 5 total prints), then it will be worth more than a print that comes from a larger edition. As gallerist Laura Noble explains, the exclusivity of a print makes it more valuable.
Then again, the influence of scarcity isn’t set in stone. Lee Witkin noted that Ansel Adams made hundreds of prints of the photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. This high quantity doesn’t stop the prints from selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A final data point to consider is who created the print. A vintage print is one that was made by the photographer around the time that the original negative was shot. Vintage prints typically have more value than later ones. This is especially true if the later prints were made by family members or keepers of the photographer’s estate. The price discrepancies for various Diane Arbus prints are a perfect example of this. If you’re considering a purchase (especially an expensive one), be sure to find out who made the print, when it was made, and the size of its edition.
Rule #5: Forget about big names.
Collecting prints by famous photographers is an expensive pastime. If money isn’t a problem for you, congratulations! For everyone else, it’s best to aim for lesser-known pieces and little-known photographers, especially when you’re getting started.
Buying from an unknown artist at a graduate exhibition or purchasing anonymous photos from a yard sale might not carry the same thrill as owning an Edward Weston. However, there is a certain joy that comes from discovering overlooked gems or supporting an emerging artist. Pay attention to contemporary photographers. See if any of them catch your eye and if you want to invest in their work. Give yourself permission to dig through the overlooked pieces at estate sales or thrift stores. If a photograph tugs at your heart, it’s worth purchasing, even if it’s not attached to a famous name.
Rule #6: Choose a theme.
As you spend more time looking at photographs, you might notice that certain compositions, subjects, or settings excite you more than others. Let those details give a sense of unity to your fledgling collection. Maybe you love collecting Polaroids from family photo albums, or perhaps you find that photographs of trains tickle your fancy. Whatever your aesthetic interests, embrace them.
Rule #7: Jump right in.
While you might feel tempted to do copious research before making your first purchase, Susan Theran encourages would-be collectors to jump right in. You don’t need to be an expert to become a collector, and nothing will help you refine your taste like making a financial investment. That said, you need not (and should not) spend tons of money on your first purchases. You might discover that collecting old photo albums isn’t really your thing or that self-portraits don’t excite you as much as you initially predicted. These revelations are perfectly normal, and they help refine your taste. Such observations are good for your development as a collector (as long as they don’t damage your finances in the process). The thrill of your first purchases will inspire your research, lead you to new galleries, and introduce you to new artists. No matter your photographic interests, go ahead and take a plunge.
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
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Will Seippel, the founder of History in Photographs and the CEO of WorthPoint, has said this to me many times. We’ve spent hours together sifting through boxes full of negatives. We unwrap delicate glass plates. We sort through tiny envelopes that are jam-packed with thin plastic strips. Through it all, Will grins like a kid on Christmas morning.
“And it’s not about the famous people,” he clarifies. “I began collecting because I wanted to document history the way normal Americans saw it. I wanted to know how ordinary people experienced extraordinary times.”
The result of that curiosity is History in Photographs (or HIP, as we call it). The HIP collection, which Will has been building for decades, includes nearly 50,000 photographic negatives. The collection covers both time and space, from shipbuilding towns in New England to National Parks and through the American West. It documents the birth of commercial aviation and the early years of television. It charts the life of the railroad, the travels of the Model T, and follows servicemen overseas. It stretches from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to family vacations in the 1980s.
The collection contains multitudes: generals and soldiers, burlesque performers and politicians, families and loners. Some faces are recognizable. Others remain anonymous. Some of our photographers have big names, but many of them are as unknown as their subjects. True to its inspiration, HIP includes a wealth of stories, and we’re excited to share every last one. Whether you’re looking to purchase a print or peruse our treasure trove, we’re happy you’re here.
A collection of this magnitude has much to teach, not only about American history but about the medium itself. Photography has experienced many technological shifts since the daguerreotype’s debut in 1839. Even so, the photograph maintains a mysterious hold on us. Now more than ever, we are photography’s creators as well as its captives.
Our world is overrun by photographs. They create our global awareness and our sense of possible futures. In a world as image-saturated and image-conscious as ours, we might expect the medium to get dull. Maybe we ought to be burned out on pictures after nearly 200 years. Then again, perhaps this is another sign of photography’s uncanny power. Despite its dominance, the photograph still attracts our curiosity and love. We want to collect them, even though they refuse to leave us alone.
From the beginning, photography was unique. During its infancy, both critics and champions seemed unsure about how to categorize it. Photography belonged to multiple disciplines, from journalism to biology to tourism. This flexibility baffled the earliest commentators. What is the photograph? Is it art? Or a tool for scientific inquiry? Or a method for spreading Victorian morals to the rest of the masses? How does one describe a medium that can do so much?
As photographic applications increased, more questions emerged. Does the photograph use its power to reveal the truth? Or is photographic realism just an illusion? Does the photograph capture our world or create a new one? Perhaps Susan Sontag was correct when she wrote (decades before the advent of social media) that our representations of the world are often more powerful than reality itself.
A website devoted to photographs cannot help but engage these questions. Of course, we are not the first to do so. Generations of scholars and theorists have picked apart this unique relationship between humans and their photographic representations. Most agree that photography’s power comes from its realistic pretenses. The existence of a photograph depends on the existence of whatever once stood before its lens. This dependence upon the real world defines the photograph and how we experience it.
Media professor Philip Rosen notes that whenever we treat a photograph as a reliable source of information, we’re acting with a certain amount of optimism. We assume that images can tell some truth about our world. We also assume that a photograph’s viewers are capable of analyzing that truth. Photographic interpretation and historical interpretation require the same type of faith. We believe in our senses, in our ability to observe and gather data. We believe in our capacity to turn strange images, strange events, and strange people into cohesive narratives. These faiths are why we give instant credibility to a photograph. This tendency says just as much about us as it does about our images.
Then again, not all photographs deserve this trust. Photography both encourages and challenges our power as storytellers. It dares us to formulate a hypothesis about the observed world and reminds us of its power to deceive. The medium might tell us our histories, but it also tells us about ourselves as writers of history. The photograph doesn’t always deserve our faith. Neither do the storytellers.
For collectors, questions about history and history-creation become even more intriguing. Collectors have a unique relationship to the medium. It differs from the perspectives of scholars, enthusiasts, and even artists. Issues of authenticity, aesthetics, and cultural relevance all boil down to one big question: What is a photograph worth? What causes some to be worth more than others? What motivates us to assign value to certain photographs and histories? And, what do those value judgments reveal about us?
At HIP, we’re fascinated by these kinds of questions. As you enjoy our collection, we invite you to join the inquiry. This website is the digital home for thousands of images, but HIP is also an anthology of questions, conversations, and resources. So far, we’ve been creating blog posts to shed light on our favorite images. In the weeks and months to come, you can expect to see even more. We’re bringing together collectors, appraisers, and historians to help tell the story of this collection. We also want to shed light on the art of collecting. We hope that our work will help explain why our photographs matter and why yours do too.
Maybe you’re curious about our collection or starting one of your own. Either way, HIP aspires to be a helpful space. Come along as we study photography’s ageless power. We hope that HIP emboldens you to learn more about photographs and histories. Perhaps, in that process, you’ll learn something about yourself.
References (and fun reads):
Susan Sontag’s On Photography (published by Picador)
“History of Image, Image of History: Subject and Ontology in Bazin” by Philip Rosen, published in Rites of Realism: Essays on Corporeal Cinema (published by Duke University Press)
This article was originally published by WorthPoint on WorthPoint.com
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Steam power entered the transportation engines in the late 1700’s, and the first tugboat steam engine was patented in 1802 by William Symington of Scotland. One of the earliest tugboats, known as the Charlotte Dundas, made her first trip with twenty passengers in 1802. This six-hour trip was her one and only voyage because the captain feared she would erode the canal banks if she approached the surface past her stopping point. Five years after, American Engineer Robert Fulton brought the steamboat to North America.
The introduction of the tugboat to mechanisms for transportation created new jobs in the country: captain, mate, and engineer. The captain position is that of any of ship. Not only did the captain have to be a leader, but he was also required to have previous experience working as a shipmate and to having knowledge in respects to how the boat operates. Additionally, some companies even required that a Captain have experience navigating through specific water areas. The next position, the mate, was the second-most important job on the ship. The mate had to work with the captain to ensure that the tugboat operates smoothing. Such responsibilities include overall navigation ad towing functionalities. The third job that was introduced with the introduction of the tugboat was more extensive engineer positions. Because tugboats were responsible for moving passengers as well as cargo, the vessels had to go through constant matinee checks. An engineer’s primary role was to check both the main and supplemental engineer to ensure it was operating properly. And one can not forget that a captain is nothing with out his crew. The three main job positions were captain, mate, and engineer; however, the seamen carried out the menial activities in the tugboat, as did the onshore crew members. Not only were these boats used for businesses and travel, but they were also used by Armed Services.
During World War I and World War II needed tugboats for war efforts. Specifically, during World War II, four different types of tugboats were requested. At 186 feet long, the largest tugboat was the type V. Only a total of forty-nine of these ships were constructed. Some of these types of tugboats were involved in helping building Normandy ports, while others served different purposes. Regardless of their specific tasks, tugboats were maneuver vessels, moving vessels that were either too large to move alone or those that had been disabled.
An example of a tugboat was found in these recovered negatives from Worthpoint’s Founder William Seippel. Once developed, the negatives were difficult to read at first; however, once they were thought the cleaning process, William successful discovered some neat historical information on them. After making out the name “Clare H” on the side of the boat, he found that the ship was a 1900s model of the Clare H Doanes. In recent years, William traveled to and restored Doanes Wharf in Kennebunk, Maine, which made this connection so fascinating, as the slide relates to a place he has helped restore. There was not much other information that William could gather on the slide, but he deduces that the ship was responsible for supplying the British efforts and the end of World War II. Regardless of its specific tasks, isn’t it interesting to see just how history has a way of sneaking into our lives? Imagine investing your resources to preserve a bit of historical land just to one day stumble upon a variety of slides that turn out to have a tugboat that belonged to the same family as the land you restored.
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Before we can appreciate the history of the tobacco pipe in America, we must first understand its origin. The first smoking pipes identified were from Egypt, dating back to 2000 BCE. These pipes were found in tombs, most likely so that a mummified person could enjoy a good smoke in the afterlife. It is unknown if their remains in the tombs were strictly religious or purely recreational, or perhaps a combination of the two. As people moved around through exploration, the practice of smoking did as well. Smoking pipes were later found in Roman, Greek, and Nordic tribe populations. Clearly this practice was worldwide.
How did the tobacco pipe get to the “New World” then? One may assume that it was the Europeans who brought it over during settlement; however, the Native Americans receive credit for this one because there had been using tobacco as far bac as 1500 BCE. When Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Americas, he brought back reports of Native Americans smoking tobacco from a stone pipe. These exploders spread this trend from Spain and Portugal to France, where it was referred to by its botanical name- Nicotiana Tabacum.
The Native Americans treating smoking as something religious, and the pipe was a holy object. The narcotic effect of smoking and the indrawn and ascending smoke created a sense of communication, not only within the people of the community but also with their religious beliefs. In “New America”, tobacco was the economic lifeblood of the people. Tobacco could be rolled into a cigar or took as a snuff, but pipe was soon adopted as a necessary means to smoke. Fast forward to modern America, and pipe smoking is not only cool, it is intellectual, which in a sense only expands its social appeal.
Pipe smoking requires thought, dedication, and patience. There is the art in loading the pipe and then lighting and tamping to produce just the right experience. It is far more sophisticated than running to the convenience store and picking up a pack of Virginia Slims. A common brand is the Burak pipe. This pipe store was owned by Ed Burak of the Avenue of the Americans in New York City. Although the act of smoking tobacco has declined in the United States from 42% to about 15% due to the increased awareness on its negative medical effects on the body, it is still regarded as classic activity of Americas history.
Recently, our founder William Seippel had the experience of organizing and pricing a collection of antique tobacco pipes. The collection consists of nearly three hundred pipes, some of which costs over a grand per pipe. William cataloged each pipe, taking note of its creator and dimensions, as well as any marks on the piece. The collection totals to around $65,000, and it can be viewed on WorthPoint.com.
Here is an example of one of the pipes from the collection:
]]>The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Floto Dog and Pony show and the Sells Brother Circus that through with a variety of acts in the United States during the 1900’s. The first two owners of the entertainment group were Frederick Gilmer Bonfils and Harry Heye Tammen. Frederick Gilmer Bonfils was born in Troy, Missouri on December 21, 1860, and Harry Heye Tammen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on March 6, 1856.
The circus was created in 1902 and was originally titled “Floto Dog and Pony Show”. The name “Floto” of the circus came from the post’s sports writer Otto Floto. It was not until four years later that the word “Sells” became apart of the title. This is the year when Willie Sells was added to the show. One of the unique characteristics of this circus was that it had the support from its posts, primarily because Bonfils and Tammen were the owners of the Denver Port newspaper. At this time in history, many circuses were criticized and struggled financially because it was difficult to gain popularity.
In 1914 and 1915 the show was called “Sells-Floto Circus and Buffalo Bill West”, with Buffalo Bill performing in the show. The wagon, building during the previous decade’s show” was featured until the 1924 season. It was also around this time where the American Circus Corporation claimed ownership of the circus (1921-1929). The American Circus Corporation also owned four other circuses: Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, John Robinson Circus, Sparks Circus, and Al. G. Barnes Circus. The American Circus Corporation was only competition to the Ringling Brothers; however, the American Circus Corporation booked a performance by the Sells Floto Circus on the Ringling Brother’s territory; New York’s Madison Square Garden. This booking caused for the Ringling Brothers to win ownership of all the American Circus Corporation because they were in violation of performing their show on land that was illegal for them to perform on.
Bowling has a thick, rich history, and today it is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is theorized that bowling dates to 3200 BC; however, it appeared in Western Europe and then the United States much later. German historian William Pehle hypothesizes that bowling began in Germany around 300 AD. Additionally, there is evidence that suggest that bowling appeared in English around 1366, when King Edward III outlawed the sport to keep his troops focused on archery.
The style of bowling we associate with the American culture is based off the German version of nine-pin bowling, as well as German ceremonies. In these ceremonies, parishioners were instructed to place their kegels, a pin-like item that was used for both protection and sport, at the end of a long lane. Next, they were instructed to roll a rock at the kegle. If the rock crashed the object down, sins were absolved.
German immigrants fostered the game’s popularity in America as they formed their own bowling leagues preceding and following the American Civil War. The first indoor bowling facility was Knickerbockers in New York City, 1840. The lanes were made of baked clay and the balls were made of wood. The Brunswick Corporation aided in advancing the sports equipment, enhancing the sport’s growing popularity. Such improvements included replacing the wooden bowling balls with hard rubber bowling balls. Additionally, as the sport’s popularity increase, more companies began to create custom bowling balls, as well as apparel for professional and recreational bowlers alike.
During the late 1800’s, a restaurant owner named Joe Thum gathered many representatives from regional bowling clubs. People from states like New York, Ohio, and Illinois met to establish the American Bowling Congress in Beethoven Hall in New York City, leading standardization and national competitions to soon follow. The American Bowl Congress (ABC), now referred to as the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), was originally designed for men only; however, in 1917, the Women created an alternative organization: The Women’s International Bowling Congress.
With the emergence of these organizations came rules to standardize the sport. All lignum vitae hard wood balls were replaced by rubber balls, the “Everture”. Not only was the ball material standardized but so were rules and scoring. A standard scoring system was also put into place. One game of bowling consists of ten frames, and within each ten frames, bowlers receive two chances to knock down as many pins as possible with their bowling ball. Then are ten pins set up at the beginning of each frame. If a bowler knocks all ten pins down on the first try, he is awarded a strike. If the bowler knocks all ten down in two tries, it is called a spare. Although the game equipment and the scoring do not differ, the ball weight does. A player can use any size bowling ball as long as the weight does not exceed 16.00 pounds (7.26 kg).
Earl Anthony was a left-handed bowler in America and was also the first to win the professional bowling’s No. 1.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. is one of the greatest bowlers in history. He is notorious for his two-handed bowling style.
Richard Anthony Weber was one of the founding members of he Professional Bowlers Association. He also captured his first PBA title in the 2nd tournament of the inaugural 1959 season.
Pete Weber was introduced to the sport at only two years old, and he has rolled over eighty perfect 300 games in PBA completions through 2016.
Mike Aulby is another left-handed bowler, and he is one of only four PBA bowlers to win both a Rookie of the Year and a Player of the Year award.
Description Country: Italy Source: Bodin Collection
Approx. Date: 1940s
An Italian man enjoys a fun game of bowling as he releases his ball and watches it roll down the alleyway in front of him. As he lets go of the ball, he bends his left leg forward and raises his right leg behind him as he leans forward with his throwing arm outstretched. He fixates on his target with an intense expression and furrows his eyebrows as he appears to be deep in focus. Behind him, two older men watch the bowler as they prop themselves against a wooden wall and enjoy the entertainment.
Taken by George Sakata, a photographer featured throughout our website. George was a member of the infamous 100th Division 442nd Nisei Regimental Combat Team in WWII. This was the only Japanese American unit in WWII and was nicknamed the "Go For Broke" unit. The 442nd had a casualty rate of 93% and was awarded 21 Medal of Honors.
Sources
FLOBOWLING
]]>For over the last three centuries, First Church has offered sanctuary to those searching for salvation. Then, pilgrims and pioneers entered the congregation to be guided by God’s grace. The church was first established between the years of 1633 and 1636, making this the eleventh oldest congregation in all New England. By October of the year 1633, Reverend Thomas Hooker begins preaching in the house, but he only practiced for three years because he and many of his followers escaped to Connecticut to escape religious persecution. Because of this, Reverend Thomas Shepard took over as the pastor (1636). This is the year that the Puritan church is formally recognized; however, it was not deemed a Unitarian church until the 1800’s.
Pastor Thomas urge the General Court of Massachusetts to move the Harvard College to Newtowne (now Cambridge), which is only a short distance from the newly established church. His reasoning was that he wanted the Harvard students to be closing to the church and could “benefit from proximity” to his preaching. The Harvard College Yard was then deemed the site for the second Meeting House, built is 1652 (currently Lehman Hall). The church continued to grow, and a third Meeting House was constructed in 1706, a fourth in 1756. By 1833, the fifth and final Meeting House was constructed and still stands adjacent to present-day Harvard Yard.
Reverend Shepard, as well as those who proceeded his as Pastor, preached a Calvinistic doctrine, a major form of Protestantism that follows the theological traditions of Christian practice designed by John Calvin and other Reformation-era theologians. In the 18th century, the church started to adapt to a more liberal direction in thinking. This split the church theologies into two sides: the Arminian and the Calvinists. The split also caused a great crisis between 1805 to 1830. The minister at this time were Reverend Abiel Holmes, and he was dismissed by the Parish, resulting in the church to adopt the Unitarian views.
On this day in history, President Ronal Reagan signed a bill in the White House designed a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January. When a country observes a holiday is when a public holiday is celebrating on a date that may not be the actual event’s anniversary date. In this case, the holiday is based around Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, as to honor the influential American civil rights leader.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta in 1929. He grew up in a Baptist family, his father being a pastor at a Baptist church. Martin Luther attended public schools in Georgia, graduating high school at the young age of fifthteen. He continued his education by studying theology at Crozer Theological Seminary up north in Pennsylvania, where he was elected president his senior year by a predominantly white senior class. After finishing his studies here, Martin Luther enrolled in graduate school at Boston University, where he also finished his doctorate in 1955. In was in Boston where he met his wife ad then started his own family, having two sons and two daughters.
A year before completing his doctorate degree, Martin Luther became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. As a known advocate for civil rights for members of his race, he also served as a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organizing of its kind in the entire United States.
Three years later in 1957, he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization designed to provide leadership for the blossoming civil rights movement. The ideals for this group were based on Christian values. During the next eleven years, Martin Luther traveled to speak to millions, primarily to areas where there was injustice and protests. While traveling to speak, he also wrote five books and numerous articles. It was during this time that he led one of his more notorious protests in Birmingham, Alabama. This caught the attention of the entire world, and it inspired a manifesto of the Negro revolution, as well as a peaceful march of 25,000 people in Washington D.C., where he then delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech”.
At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King. Jr. was the youngest man in history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would be dedicating his prize money of more than 50,000 dollars to the civil rights movement.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assigned in Memphis, Tennessee.
Sources
History.com
The_Nobel_Prize/Martin_Luther_King
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You have seen them in movies, and you have read about them in books. With their big flashy signs in neon wording, motels are the epitome of American culture, but what makes a motel a motel and not a hotel?
The motel system appeared when the transportation revolution picked up. More people were settling in different cities, and more and more people were traveling between these different cities to find economic growth. The increase in travel meant that people needed an inexpensive place to stay for a night or two while out on the road. Because the system was originally designed for the stereotypical motorist, it was coined the term “motor hotel”, or motel. The layout of a motel was designed in the outdoors, while hotels doors were along a hallway inside a building.
One of the most iconic motels in America’s history in the Holiday Inn. While it is much larger hotel chain now, it only had three locations when it opened in 1991. The idea of this “hotel express system” was to reinvent the hotel system. While motels were convenient for travel, they were not so accommodating and budget-friendly when you had a family of seven, including five children. This was the case for father Kemmons Wilson. He took his family on a vacation, and long story short, he was outraged at being charged for every child at every roadside lodging, not to mention the lack of accommodations. Wilson decided to create a lodging industry that would accommodate families, and he planned to conclude standardized room size (with a bathroom), free in-room television, telephones, ice machines, restaurants, and no charge for children under the age of twelve who were staying with their parents. Due to a lack of funds, only three locations opened in 1991; however, Wilson evolved the Holiday inn by forming a partnership with Gulf Oil and Pan American Airways, which helped he to open up another two-hundred-fifty location within the next few years.
Our Photograph:
Taken in Phoenix, Arizona; this illustration of Ivory Places Motor Lodge was featured on the front of a beautiful antique postcard from 1952. Sunlight streams down onto the buildings, and palm trees decorate the perimeter of the hotel and sidewalks, making this little lodge a wonderful destination for a summertime excursion. Beside the rightmost building, an automobile is pulled up to the side with a small table and umbrella placed several feet in front, allowing visitors to relax and keep cool during their visits. Next to a palm tree, a large signboard is attached to a pole, and the name of the lodge is written in a large print font. Looking at the photograph, the viewer immediately feels as if they have been transported to the sunny streets of Arizona and are enjoying a relaxing summertime vacation.
This postcard illustration not only provided visitors with a fun way to show off their travels, but also served as a means to entice people to visit the lodge. The drawing was done with the utmost care and professionalism in order to demonstrate the lodge's grandeur to the most realistic extent. Lodges were invented in the US between the 1930s and 40s as road trips became a more frequent pastime. They provided travelers with a cheaper alternative to hotels during their journey without sacrificing the comfort of a hotel. For the owners, the expenses and maintenance are also not as costly, making lodges a profitable venture.
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Check out this post by Bob Vila to see 15 classic Roadsides to stay at in America!
sources:
Bobvila- 15 Classic Roadside Motels You Can Visit Along American Highwyas
momondo- Iconic American Lodging
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“Black Thursday” is the name that the ay October 24, 1929 was given to title the first day that the stock market crashed. This was the worst stock market crash in the United State’s history, and it kicked off the Great Depression.
What is the “Dow Jones Industrial Average- DJIA”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIJA) is a price-weighted average of thirty significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq. The DIJA was invented by Charles Dow in 1896.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is often referred to as “the Dow”. It is one of the oldest, most-watched indices in the world, and it incudes some of the most known companies in the world, such as General Electric Company, the Walt Disney Company, and Exxon Mobil Corporation.
Prior to the New York Stock Exchange opening on this Thursday in 1929, investors were already hurrying around in a panic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen more than 4.5 percent the day before, and when the market opened at 305.85, it immediately fell 11 percent during intra-day trading.
The stock market had already declined by a near twenty percent since its record close the month prior (September 3, 1929) and trading shares were three times normal volume. The three leading banks at the time were Morgan Bank, Chase National Bank, and National City Band of New York. To restore confidence in the failing market, the banks bought stock, which did cause to Dow to make a slight recovery; however, this attempt was not successful for long, and the Dow had fallen to 230.07 by the end of Black Tuesday.
After the crash, the Dow continued sliding for three more years, reaching a low n July 8, 1932. After losing almost 90% of its value, it eventually reaches its previous high about 25 years later, November 23, 1954.
The exact cause of the stock market crash of 1929 is debated among economists, and several accepted theories exist today. One theory is that the people and the market were overconfident. People were unafraid to debt due to rapid growth in bank credit and more accessible loans. The stock market was perceived as something that even ordinary people with little income could invest in because they could just borrow the money from their stockbroker and then make small investments. Similarly, companies based their production rates to what was seen in stock trends, so they overproduced many items, including farm crops, steel, and goods. Another theory is that the government raised interests’ rates which affected market stabilizer and reduced economic growth.
It is possible that the effects of the Stock Market Crash would had been lessened if the public had not panicked. This only caused a bad situation to be made worse. Hordes of people rushed to the bank to withdraw their funds and investors were unable to return their money because the bank officials had invested the money in the market. Many banks failed because of this. Not only did banks go bankrupt, but many people lost their entire savings, and the country fell into a “Great (economic) Depression”.
Sources:
History.com
Investopedia.com
]]>The S.S Normandie is most commonly known for her exquisite design and the global touristic experience it once offered. For five years, she was the largest, heaviest, and fastest ocean liner in existence, weighing in at more than 20,00 tons than White Star’s Majestic. Not only was she the heaviest but she was also the first liner to exceed 1000 feet in length; the first liner to exceed 60,00 tons; the largest turbo-electric powered liner; and the first to make a known eastbound Atlantic crossing.
Built by Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire and launched in 1932, Normandie made her first remarkable voyage from Le Harve to New York on May 29, 1935. During the winter months from 1935-36, her travel was temporarily ceased to correct significant vibration issues. While being worked on, she lost her spot as the largest liner when Cunard White Star’s Queen Mary was built and put to service; however, Normandie was put back into action soon after.
Unfortunately, Normandie’s career as a passenger liner was short-lived due to the outbreak of World War II. She was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1940 at Pier 88 and then later taken over by the U.S. Marines, where she was renamed the U.S.S. Lafayette for Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who fought on the Colonies’ behalf in the American Revolution. Two years later, her transformation into a troopship was nearly completed; however, while she was being loaded with supplies, a spark from a welder’s torch ignited a bale of lifejackets. The fire spread rapidly, and the ship’s crew and firefighters were not prepared for how to put the flames. Tipping her to her port side, she sank under Pier 88 and Pier 90. When she was finally tower in 1973, there were plans to turn her into an aircraft carrier, but it was thought to be too costly and she was then picked apart for scraps over the next four years.
The luxurious interior was designed in the Art Deco and Streamline Modern style. To compare the extent of this ship’s beauty to that of a city’s, she is the Paris of ships, being nicknamed the “Ship of Lights”. Facilities included lavish dining rooms, lounges, a swimming pool, a department store, theater, nightclub, chapel, beauty parlor, and a winter garden. The dining room had 20-foot-tall doors adorned with bronze medallions kept it enclosed from the hall. The functional, casual café gilled turned into an exotic nightclub and smoking lounge once the sun set, and the walls were paneled with ominous Egyptian murals. Each first-class suite was accompanied with its own baby grand piano and private deck. This was a ship for the rich, and many celebrities, such as Ernest Hemingway and Walt Disney, ventured out on this majestic ship.
Decorated with various tables, armchairs, and lamps is the stylish lounge of SS Normandie. Round tables that are draped in white tablecloths are placed in several neat columns down the floor of the lounge, and armchairs of several different designs are arranged around the tables. Many lamps are also positioned alongside the tables to provide pleasant lighting as passengers enjoy a pleasant meal and socialize together. Along the walls, several tall, paneled windows line the ship and allow natural sunlight to fill the room. Above, the ceiling is styled in a series of square paneling and decorated with lights that run along the surface. The comfy-looking chairs and relaxed environment give the lounge a very sophisticated, yet also laid-back, feeling.
History.net
NewYorkHistoryblog.org
Daniellaondesign.com
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I Love Lucy debuted on CBS on October 15, 1951. With Lucille Ball staring as the ever so charming, yet ambitious housewife Lucy, the show was an unexpected and immediate success. The combination of innovative filming techniques, perfectionism of Lucille Ball, and top-notch writing are a few of the factors that made this show such a hit. The series even won five Emmy Awards, including best situation comedy and best actress (Lucille Ball); however, these awards are not the only reasons that this comedy will remain an important part of our country’s entertainment history. Here are ten surprising facts that contributed to the show becoming so iconic in our nation.
In the early days of television, shows were filmed with just one camera, as were movies. The idea of a three-camera format was that three cameras would be filming simultaneously, switching back and forth between cameras to capture different angles. This way you could get a close-up and wide shots without having to set up for the different shows.
The set allowed for three hundred people to attend each showing of I Love Lucy because it was said that Lucille Ball performed better with a real audience.
Lucille Ball was enrolled in drama school when she was fifteen, but the school wrote her mother saying that she was a waste of time because she was far too shy to achieve a career in show production. Instead, Lucille Ball moved on to made her living as a model, but she soon moved to Hollywood to find more opportunities. There, she found was a stint for one of the twelve “Goldwyn Girls” on Roman Scandals. She worked a few smaller roles, and did not land her largest acting role until forty-one years old.
You can hear the lyrics to the theme song in only one episode of the series, and that is the episode “Lucy’s Last Birthday”.
In the episode “Lucy’s Italian Movie”, there is a grape stomping scene. Nobody noticed until they stopped filming the episode and realized that Lucille Ball was actually choking on a grape.
What is one weird fact that only you know about the history of the show? Share in the comments below!
]]>On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops set off from Boston and headed towards Concord, Massachusetts with the intent to steal the weapons and ammunition of the American colonist. They were led by British General Thomas Gage. Although the British though they were sneaky enough to be successful, Patriot spies soon got wind of Gage’s plan, and they knew they had to spread the word that the upcoming ambush.
The King’s troops departed Boston late in the evening and they marched into the small town of Lexington around five o’clock in the morning. There, they were face-to-face with Captain John Parker and his militia of more than seventy men. There was a shot fired, which Historians still do not know which side fired the initial shot, and the nervous British soldiers fired a volley, killing seven and mortally wounding one of the retrieving militiamen. The British managed to move past the Patriots and continued towards Concord, leaving the dead, the wounded, and the dying behind.
Arriving in Concord around three hours later, British commanders ordered several companies to secure the north bridge across the Concord River. They were to do this before continuing another mile to Barrett Farm, where they suspected cache of arms and powder was being stored. By the time the British arrive to the North Bridge, a growing assembly of 400 militia from Concord and surrounding towns had gathered. From their vantage point, they could see smoke rising from Concord, which was a result of the British burning supplies; however, the Patriots thought the smoke was the British burning down their town. After the attack from the morning combined potential town torching, the Patriot side would not be silent.
The Minute Men marched down the hill, towards their opponents. The British soldiers, intimidated by the colonial numbers, retreated and prepared to defend themselves. Once within range, the British opened fire, killing Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. In a reply, the Minute Men started their own volley, which is considered “the shot heard round the world”. The rest of the British troops retreated to town, and the Revolutionary War had begun.
About out photograph:
An air of serenity and tranquility fills the Lexington Battle Green in Concord, Massachusetts. Sunlight streams down on the park, and the luscious trees and well-kept grass add to the beautiful atmosphere with the calm, clear sky. Standing gallantly in the center of the park is a life-size statue a continental minute man holding a musket in his right hand. The statue casts a stark shadow on the ground, contrasting against the well-lit area and adding to the power and intensity of the soldier. Underneath the minute man, a short inscription from Ralph Waldo Emerson's Concord Hymn is carved onto the stone pedestal and describes the first shot launched during the American Revolution:
"By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here, once, the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard 'round the world."
The minute man statue, sculpted by Daniel Chester French (the same French who designed the Lincoln Memorial) in 1915, is officially titled the “Concord Minute man of 1775” and commemorates the strong and valiant minutemen soldiers who fought in the revolutionary war. The term “Minute Men” refers to an eager group of volunteer soldiers who provided high support to the military and would instantly be ready for duty "at a minute's warning".
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and poet, wrote a hymn to honor the competition of the Concord Monument. The poem was originally titled Hymn but then was later altered to Concord Hymn.
Concord Hymn
Sung at the Completion of the Battle Monument, July 4, 1837
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
History.com: History Stories
American Battlefield Trust: Lexington and Concord
The twentieth century was the era for growth, especially advancements made in transportation. Let’s start from the beginning shall we. The growth of American transportation began when Thomas Jefferson was elected into office. President Jefferson had a vision to expand trade and travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. He wanted to be able to connect people across the entire continent. By the 1800’s, Jefferson had implemented different transportation systems that would connect American communities, involving roads, rivers, and railroads. Many citizens were skeptical of this plan; however, by the later half of the 19th-century, these transportation systems, specifically the railroad system, was more than what it what its envisioned purpose was. It was not only a means for people to travel the continent; it was a way to transport goods between farms, towns, and cities.
With this new transportation system flourishing, people found that they could obtain fruits and vegetables year-round. Farmers could sell wheat and grain to ports, which could then be sent out on ships around the world. Local crops could be sold nation-wide. The increased demand for the goods required an increased demand for labor, so immigrants from Asia and Mexico could be employed to plant, harvest, and package the foods. Now that these goods were so accessible, people had no need to move to have food and goods to stay alive. People could remain in the same place and develop cities and towns. With the growth of American cities, public transportation grew as well.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century and we have units of transportation that surpass the visions of two hundred years ago. Our nation offers Transatlantic flights, cross country bus tickets, and International cruise lines. To put the changes in perspective, here are five facts about the changes in United States Transportation that you probably don’t know:
As you can see, transportation is an ever-evolving industry. Without these advancements made regarding automobiles, trains airplanes, boats, and even bicycles, life would probably be like that of the 17th century. Here is a quick clip to give you a visual on the history of transportation.
Let us know which form of transportation you appreciate the most and why!
Sources:
G&B Integrated, Facts About History
InterNations- Public History in the USA
]]>The sport that is most commonly associated with the United States is football, more properly know as gridiron football. Saturday game days are a way for family and friends to come together and share their passion in rooting for the same team. On the contrary, it is also a way to bond through competition of supporting opposing teams. The pregame is full of laughter and playful banter, finger foods and light beer, thunder sticks and cowbells. Football jerseys and team colors create a sea of spirit right before your eyes. On an ideal day, the sun is beaming down on your tent as your best friend is managing the barbeque and you and your friends play cornrow, all while taking in the scents of the delicious indulgences and victories to come soon. The best part isn’t even the elements of the festive pregame; it is the anticipation of watching your team destroy the opposition. It is joining together in a unity to cheer on what you believe in. More often that not, we don’t realize that many other countries do not gather together in such a way, and they often question why Americans feel so much passion for such a diverse sport. So how did this sport and its traditions develop in American anyways?
American football emerged from two primary European sports, rugby and soccer. In 1879, a rugby player and coach Walter Camp, of Yale University, proposed numerous rule changes to the sport. With the reduction of players on the field and the standardization of field size, a new sport was created. This meant that instead of having fifteen players on the field, like what rugby still has, there would only be eleven men on the field. Additionally, the standard field size was set to a hundred and ten yards. Soon after, tackling rules were adapted to legalize tackling under the belt. A “high tackle” could result in a penalty. Unfortunately, the violent physically challenges from the game did cause some serious injuries, so football was banned from many colleges and universities until protective equipment was revised.
Walter Camp is the man most notably responsible for the introduction of American football in the world today. As mentioned earlier, Walter was a rugby coach and played for Yale University. Arguably, Walter’s two largest contributions to the sport were made when he served on the newly formed Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA). The first contribution was removing the “scrum” from the game, and he proposed that a team surrender the all after failing to move down the field a specific yardage. The other notorious change was the number of men who participated during playing-time, the quarter back, the line of scrimmage, and offensive signal-calling.
Each year, there are many new men drafted and selected to take the field each season. Among the many men selected, a few of them become legends, but only a few are worthy of greater recognition. One of these select players is Herschel Walker of the University of Georgia for setting running back records from 1980 to 1982. He led the steam to a National Championship in 1980. After his college career, he moved on to play for the New Jersey General for three years and then later the Dallas Cowboys. Another notorious football star is Tommie Frazier from Nebraska. Tommie led his team to the national championships two times in a row in the 1990’s, and he is the only quarterback to accomplish such a thing in the past forty years.
SocialIssuesReportCenter.org
BleacherReport.com
History.com
SportsIllustrated.com
]]>Although the summer heat has not left all parts of the country yet, such as my sticky home in Atlanta, the season of brilliant foliage shows, crisp air, and pumpkin and apple flavored everything is upon us. What makes this time of the year so wonderful? Maybe it is the anticipation of the vast number of holidays soon, or perhaps it is that we can all enjoy the comfort foods that we love because our “winter bodies” can hide underneath cozy sweaters? We all light up inside over different aspects of this season, but I think it is safe to say that we all want to capture the moments as they happen so that we can sit around and think about the good times later. Here are a few of our favorite elements of the fall equinox.
The fall season is arguably the only season that offers a variety of activities for all people. There are sporting events, wilderness adventures, and family functions happening constantly. You can say goodbye to pal, sad grocery store apples because apple orchards are flourishing with fresh food ready to pick right off the tree. This and pumpkin patches are two great ways to get into the fall mood; plus, it kills two birds with one stone because you can get physical activity and have a great time with family or friends. If you are not interested in the fruit picking scene, there other more adrenaline-based activities to engage yourself with, such as college football tailgates and haunted houses.
Break out the slow cookers, ladies and gentlemen. Fall is the season of stews, casseroles, and creamy pasta dishes. Sure, you can eat these dishes year-round, but who wants to eat a hot bowl of macaroni when it is over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit outside and you must put on your swimsuit in an hour? Not an ideal situation when the sun is blaring and you are three-quarters exposed, but you don’t have to worry about this with the temperature drop and the sweet addition of all the fall fashion choices.
Eating all the delicious, warm foods can be problematic to your waistline, but that is easily fixed with the retirement of tank tops and sun dresses. Say hello to the loose sweaters, stretchy waistbands, and fuzzy socks. Sweaters, scarves, and boots look fantastic pair together, plus they are ever so comfortable. Bonus! Football jerseys are also back in season.
Halloween is the spookiest days of the year, and the thirty days leading up to it only build the anticipation. Netflix is flooding with horror films, Halloween spirit shops are open on every other street corner, and children can’t stop talking about what they want to dress up as. It is a fun month full of spooky gathers and themed-party foods, not to mention the abundance of candy that fills the grocery store isles.
Last on the list, but not the least, is college football. Who doesn’t love the war within the home when half of the family is cheering for Auburn and the other half is rooting for Alabama. The tailgating and the sportsmen ship bring friends and families together to eat good food and celebrate a great American sport.
If your favorite thing about fall wasn’t mentioned on the above list, please comment below what you love most!
]]>On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scout Movement was created when Lieutenant General Robert Baden-Powell published his first installment of Scouting for Boys. The book described a variety of games and contests that the Lieutenant General used to train his Calvary troops in scouting. At this time, the author was already commonly known by many English boys, so thousands of copies of his handbook were bought immediately. The idea behind the publication of this literary piece was that boys should be capable of organizing themselves into small groups of about six or seven plus an additional boy deemed as the leader, the “patrol leader” to learn skills. Within the groups, the boys would train in areas applicable to outdoor activities: tracking, mapping, signaling, knotting, first air, and all other camping skills. By the spring season, the series was complete, and Boy Scout troops started to form arise in Britain. It was not until a year later that the movement made its way to America.
The America version of Boy Scouts was created after publisher William Boyce was rescued from being lost in the fog by a Boy Scout. The Boy Scout refused to accept any form of compensation for his good deed, which inspired Boyce to organize his own youth organization in the United States. After meeting with Baden-Powell, Boyce took the already existing Woodcraft Indians and the Sons of Daniel Boone and transformed it into the Boy Scouts of America. The official founding date for this event is February 8th, 1910.
The Boy Scout Movement was intended for boys eleven to fifteen years of age; however, it became apparent that boys of all ages could benefit from the principles of the organization. In 1916, Baden-Powell founded a parallel organization for younger boys. This organization is called the “Wolf Cubs”, which is the identical organization in America, the “Cub Scouts”. Additionally, in 1980, girls were permitted to join the Boy Scouts, and in the past year, girls have been granted permission to join cub scouts. Alternatively, the Girls Scouts of America program was inspired by the start up of the Boy Scouts of America.
Something you may not understand the purpose of is “why do boy scouts sell popcorn?”. Not only is this practice a fundraising event, but it teaches boys the art of selling. This act offers boys a chance to earn a badge in Salesmanship and Entrepreneurship. Not only is learning to sell something a useful skill but learning how to deal with people who say “no” is also a useful skill. Through this fundraising event, the boys also learn to set SMART goals, goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-bound. This is a vital life skill because it is apart of success. Creating a plan and following through with the plan teaches a person to prioritize and to value hard work. Lastly, selling popcorn is a huge lesson in perseverance. If you are unable to sell any popcorn at one house, you put your happy face on and move on to the next home. Being tenacious is important- and it doesn’t stop with selling the product. The perseverance and optimism that comes with selling door-to-door, and being rejected door-to-door, shines in the learning environment, as well as the work environment.
Today in America, the Boy Scouts are no longer referred to as “Boy Scouts”. Effective in February 2018, the program was renamed as “Scouts BSA”. This is because the organization’s leaders are trying to change the face of the Boy Scouts due to the integration of allowing females to apart of the troops. The parent organization will remain as the Boy Scouts of America, and the Cub Scouts will also keep its name. This change reflects the shifting social and cultural norms that expect social groups to be exclusive based on gender. To further this shift, the Scouts also permitted transgender children to join its programs as of January 2017. The primary reason for this being that the leaders want all youth to have a fair opportunity to be apart of the scouts.
Almost as if he were a statue, the assistant patrol leader stands with perfect posture and a stern expression. His hands lay firmly at his sides, and he looks directly at the photographer with an intense, yet stoic, expression. He wears the standard assistant patrol leader uniform of the time: a long-sleeved shirt with four pockets, trousers gathered at the calves, and a hat. He stands on a grassy field in Kennebunkport, Maine with lush trees lining the area. The branches of the trees are abundant with leaves and cast dense shadows along the back of the field. Fortunately, there was sufficient sunlight that allowed the patrol leader to have such a handsome portrait taken.
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