Photo collectors come across all kinds of portraits in the course of their collecting journeys, from formal poses in the studio to casual snapshots on the beach. Portraits are extremely common, especially when you’re sifting through someone else’s family photo albums and negatives. Because portraits are a dime a dozen, not all of them are striking enough to make you stop and look closer.  The vast majority of them only have meaning for those who knew the subjects, for the families and friends who can put a name to the face.

Then again, a good portrait has an undeniable power, even if we know little to nothing about the subject or context. Something simple, like the emotion in a subject’s gaze or the attitude in their posture, can be enough to draw us in. Portraits may be extremely common, but even so, the best ones still have a certain hypnotic power, and they are always worth the search.

Those who collect portraits are often drawn to certain details. Little things, like the setting or the subject’s clothes, can be enough to catch your eye. Details also have the power to pique our curiosity. For instance, this portrait of a Native American elder is one of our favorites, not only because of the emotion on her face and the quality of the exposure, but also because of the questions she inspires. What’s the function of those keys on her belt? What is she thinking about? What is her relationship to the person taking her picture? There is much to wonder about, and she reminds us that a great portrait always provokes more questions than it answers. 

That said, there are lots of helpful tools for cracking a portrait’s many mysteries. When handling a piece in person, you can always inspect the back of the photograph for signatures, notes, or stamps, which can offer clues about the age of the print and the photographer. If you’re struggling to identify the subject, facial recognition tools, like the Blippar app, can help you get started. Another excellent resource is LangdonRoad.com, which has an impressive index of photographers.

Here at HIP, some of our portraits are by known professionals like Martha Hale Harvey, Alice Curtis, and George Sakata. Others, though, remain anonymous. We hope you’ll explore the mysteries of portraiture with us and allow these faces to inspire both curiosity and reverence.