Saxonville, Massachusetts Cyanotype Photo Album

Beschreibung

188 cyanotype photographs (4 x 5 inches) pasted in a re-purposed album once used as an album for a stamp collection. Album measures approximately 14 x 11 1/2 inches and is in fair only condition. Much wear to exterior and binding is barely holding. The album itself was patented in 1876; we suspect the photo collection dates to late 1880's. The name Leslie Buckingham is written inside front board. 188 cyanotype photos and 6 silver gel photos. Photos are pasted in at corners; many have loose corners. No annotations found on verso of photos or in album itself. Identification based on one legible sign; further research needed but views seem consistent to a rural area in the eastern United States. A number of prominent houses and churches may help pinpoint the exact location. Photo quality ranges from very good to poor. At least 75 percent of the views are of better quality. 10-15 are underexposed to the point of being useless. Various forms of soiling to scattered photos. Most carry that typical cyanotype fuzziness.The cyanotype process was developed in the 1840's and became popular with naturalists for printing out plant images and by tradesmen for blueprint drawings. Photographers began using the process in the late 19th century for its simplicity and low cost but the technique never gained much popularity. Full albums of cyanotype photographs seem to be uncommon. More often we see typical silver gel/snapshot albums with scattered cyanotype photos within. More commonly I see small sets of cyanotypes on the market.This album concentrates mostly on the leisure activities of a family in the northeast. We find many examples of kids, dogs, cats, lake scenes, boating, and swimming. Some of the best views are horse-drawn carriages, area homes plus several churches in addition to rural scenes winter scenes and a couple harvest views. There is one set of charming images with girls dressed up in beautiful Asian clothing, plus another couple photos of two women taking tea. While the content is of mostly average content (see additional photo link), the album is very desirable for the 188 relatively rare cyanotype photo process. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 022615

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Saxonville, Massachusetts Cyanotype Photo ...