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Scanned from the original 4x5 inch glass negative. View full size.
This photo should be the reason for some talented author to write a book. His face could launch a thousand pages of dialogue. Amazing.
This poor old guy had a hard row to hoe during his lifetime. I would like to hear his stories.
I stand corrected and I just learned something. That's always a good thing. Thanks Dave and "Anonymous Tipster"!
It looks to have been retouched with something. Your glass plate might be a copy negative. The vogue then was for very soft-focus prints. The white lines we see here on the positive image above and in all those retouched Harris & Ewing portraits would manifest themselves as somewhat blurry highlights.
Click to enlarge.
I looked at the negative with a loupe under a bright light and no matter how I angled it could see no signs of highlighting on either side. A black pencil or brush stroke would have stuck out like a sore thumb. I've attached a scan so you can see that the density of the lines and his whiskers are the same. It's not the best proof but it's all I can do over the internet. Nice catch though. Thanks for looking.
The negative was retouched with a pencil or ink pen to add highlights (the white lines) to the face.
I would like to sit down and listen to this man tell his life story.
How did you happen to find this? Beautiful.
So much in those eyes! As weatherbeaten and aged as the face might be, the eyes are full of life!
There are times when a monochrome photo looks more lifelike and real than anything a color photo could capture. This is one of them. What a great photo.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's funny you should mention that it should be on display. Along with the negative I also have the original 9.5x13.5 inch matted professional print so it may have already been on display somewhere a long, long time ago. Unfortunately there's nothing written on the back of the print or the mat so we'll never know any more about him or the photographer.
This is an absolutely stunning photo. Any chance of posting a link to a higher resolution version so I could print one up for myself?
Surely one of the most brilliant, uuterly astounding portraits ever to grace these fascinating pages!
IMHO, this should be produced on a large-scale hand-processed print, and be displayed where folks can have a chance to sit and just soak in it for a while.
I'm in awe, and since professional and commercial photography is something I've made a living with from time to time, I'm not generally moved by photos.
But this... the light, the tone, the composition, the soft revelation of one man's complex life...
O. M. G.
Thank you so very much D_Chad!
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