Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

[telophase]

Spent the weekend at my mother's house, giving her the big photo tour of Japan (because we hadn't seen her since NOVEMBER AAAAGGGHHH), and then, as she is considering downsizing even more, going through a bunch of old photos and scrapbooks and various mementos of family (and people we don't even remember!). And then loading a selection of those, and half of her cookbook collection, into our car to take home.

As a result of all of this, which involved a lot of talking, my throat has been strained and is now sore. I haven't gone into full laryngitis, and my goal is to prevent myself from doing that by not talking whenever possible. (Oddly, as a child in Tanzania I wold periodically cause laryngitis in myself by sticking my head out of the window of the car and keeping my mouth open as we drove. I think I liked the sensation--of air entering my mouth, not the laryngitis. Perhaps I was a strange child.)

Anyway, there's one box that I haven't fully gone through which contains some old photos--either tintypes or daguerreotypes. I am not sure how to tell them apart, but I can tell they're the kind that will fade when exposed to light, so I need to ponder the best way to keep them preserved.

In other news, I killed a large silverfish in the bathroom last night. Am 99% convinced it came home with us in these old boxes. Call to exterminator on the schedule to ensure we don't get a population of these things started.

Also, here is a photo of the Bewick's wren that hangs out near our house. It was finally caught by the spycam.

Comments

[tool-of-satan.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia says

Viewing a daguerreotype is unlike looking at any other type of photograph. The image does not sit on the surface of the metal, but appears to be floating in space, and the illusion of reality, especially with examples that are sharp and well exposed is unique to the process.

The image is on a mirror-like silver surface, normally kept under glass, and will appear either positive or negative, depending on the angle at which it is viewed, how it is lit and whether a light or dark background is being reflected in the metal. The darkest areas of the image are simply bare silver; lighter areas have a microscopically fine light-scattering texture.

So if the pictures look more like normal photographs on metal plates they are probably tintypes. I believe tintypes were much easier to make and more common.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Thanks! They're probably tintypes then, just going by the probability. I haven't looked at them for much longer than it took to go "Okay, I should keep the light off of these before they fade!"

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of information at daguerre.org/dagfaq.php that might be useful.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

There's at least one in a case, so hmmm. (well, I should say more like several of them are stuffed into a case, IIRC!) I'm now trying to remember...there may be at least two cases. Must dig through the box and see!

[tool-of-satan.livejournal.com]

Also, saying "not on your tintype!" is fun.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

I can't recognize a Bewick's wren. I know grackles, pigeons, red-tailed hawks, bluejays, and cardinals. I'm not going to learn any more birds, because learning more leads to making lists and making lists leads to searching for local birds that I haven't spotted yet to complete the list and completing the local list leads to touring the continent trying to complete that list. And I can't afford that.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

:) I am sliding down into that pit of existential hell. I was inordinately happy yesterday morning when I spied a red-winged blackbird sitting on a power line on the way into work. (I was looking for the scissortail flycatchers that usually sit there.)

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Crap. I know what a red-winged blackbird looks like. I usually see them perched on tall roadside grass just barely strong enough to hold their weight.

That's another.

Crap.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

You'll be able to ID scissortails when you see them sitting on fences or power lines: they're small birds with absurdly long tails!

[selenite.livejournal.com]

I officially declare you a Bad Influence.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

See, the next time you go to a con I'm going to be lurking, waiting to leap out at you, shove a photo of a bird in your face and yell "CEDAR WAXWING!"

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

BWAAHAHA

I have pointed out that he also knows what a robin looks like. And I am going to point a mockingbird out to him next time we are out and about during the daytime.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Hee! XD And once he spots a killdeer, it'll all be downhill from there!