Victorian Portraits How Come No One Ever Smiled

Whether haunting or silly, these Victorian portraits reveal what photography was like well over a century ago.

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1 of 36A mourning widow and her children, c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 2 of 36Etsy 3 of 36c. early 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 4 of 36Queen Victoria with the Princesses Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene, and Alix of Hesse, c. 1879.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 5 of 365-year-old Percival H. W. Parsons and 2-year-old F. Herbert W. Parsons, c. 1867.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 6 of 36"Darling Little Ernest," English Albumen Post-Mortem Carte de Visite, taken November 6, 1868.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 7 of 36c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 8 of 36Two boys from Wyanet, Illinois.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 9 of 36c. 1890.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 10 of 36Taken in Colfax, Illinois, c. 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 11 of 36Deceased woman, c. 1850.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 12 of 36Portrait of a French girl in Paris, c. 1865.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 13 of 36c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 14 of 36Two sisters in Colfax, Illinois, c. early 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 15 of 36Taken in Logansport, Indiana. Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 16 of 36Wright Family, c. 1860s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 17 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 18 of 36A deceased boy holding a toy and flower, c. 1855.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 19 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 20 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 21 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 22 of 36Nellie Burr was born in Illinois in 1868. This picture was July 1, 1874.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 23 of 36Little Zdena with a dog called Broček.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 24 of 36An elderly couple identified as Daniel Chaffee and Catherine Newell. Chaffee was born June 3rd, 1783 and died in 1859. Newell was born November 24, 1805 and died less than a month after her husband.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group 25 of 36A Victorian bearded lady.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 26 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 27 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 28 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 29 of 36Folkestone Couple in Mourning, English Albumen Carte de Visite, c. 1885.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 30 of 36Mrs. A. Bankart in Widow’s Dress, English Albumen Carte de Visite, c. 1862.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 31 of 36Vienna, Austria.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 32 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 33 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 34 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 35 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group 36 of 36Like this gallery?Share it:

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In The Time Of Victorian Portraits, The Quickest Way To Look Like An Idiot Was By Smiling View Gallery

Victorian life must have been so much fun. If you weren’t dead or about to die due to infectious diseases, you were always trying to act or at least look that way.

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44 Colorized Portraits That Reveal Historical Figures As They Truly Were

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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

44 Colorized Portraits That Reveal Historical Figures As They Truly Were

43 Colorized Photos That Capture Victorian London As It Really Was

The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants

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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

44 Colorized Portraits That Reveal Historical Figures As They Truly Were

43 Colorized Photos That Capture Victorian London As It Really Was

The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants

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1 of 36A mourning widow and her children, c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

2 of 36Etsy

3 of 36c. early 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

4 of 36Queen Victoria with the Princesses Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene, and Alix of Hesse, c. 1879.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

5 of 365-year-old Percival H. W. Parsons and 2-year-old F. Herbert W. Parsons, c. 1867.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

6 of 36"Darling Little Ernest," English Albumen Post-Mortem Carte de Visite, taken November 6, 1868.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

7 of 36c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

8 of 36Two boys from Wyanet, Illinois.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

9 of 36c. 1890.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

10 of 36Taken in Colfax, Illinois, c. 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

11 of 36Deceased woman, c. 1850.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

12 of 36Portrait of a French girl in Paris, c. 1865.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

13 of 36c. 1900.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

14 of 36Two sisters in Colfax, Illinois, c. early 1890s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

15 of 36Taken in Logansport, Indiana. Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

16 of 36Wright Family, c. 1860s.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

17 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

18 of 36A deceased boy holding a toy and flower, c. 1855.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

19 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

20 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

21 of 36Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

22 of 36Nellie Burr was born in Illinois in 1868. This picture was July 1, 1874.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

23 of 36Little Zdena with a dog called Broček.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

24 of 36An elderly couple identified as Daniel Chaffee and Catherine Newell. Chaffee was born June 3rd, 1783 and died in 1859. Newell was born November 24, 1805 and died less than a month after her husband.Flickr / “Victorian Photographic Portraits of People” Group

25 of 36A Victorian bearded lady.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

26 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

27 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

28 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

29 of 36Folkestone Couple in Mourning, English Albumen Carte de Visite, c. 1885.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

30 of 36Mrs. A. Bankart in Widow’s Dress, English Albumen Carte de Visite, c. 1862.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

31 of 36Vienna, Austria.Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

32 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

33 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

34 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

35 of 36Flickr / “The Smiling Victorian” Group

36 of 36Like this gallery?Share it:

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In The Time Of Victorian Portraits, The Quickest Way To Look Like An Idiot Was By Smiling View Gallery

In The Time Of Victorian Portraits, The Quickest Way To Look Like An Idiot Was By Smiling

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In those early days of photography, exposures were long: The shortest method (the daguerreotype method) lasted 15 minutes. This was actually a major improvement from how long it took to shoot the very first photograph in 1826, which took all of eight hours to produce.

Common knowledge has always pointed to these long exposure times as the reason why Victorians were rarely seen smiling in photos. While it was certainly a contributing factor, the real reason that these early Victorian portraits look so somber is that people didn’t smile that much in life.

Oft quoted was the wisdom “Nature gave us lips to conceal our teeth.” Flashing a big ol’ toothy grin was seen as classless. The only people to readily do so were either drunk or stage performers. In either case, smiling in Victorian portraits made people appear buffoonish as if they were modern-day court jesters.

Furthermore, for some, sealed lips was a very conscious effort to conceal one’s teeth — orthodontia hadn’t yet been invented, nor was dentistry in common practice.

Wikimedia CommonsMark Twain

Thus, in the early days of studio portraiture, the desire to create regal, non-smiling portraits actually gave us the precursor to “say cheese”: Instead of the wide-mouthed grin of “cheeeeeese,” studio photographers encouraged their subjects to “say prunes” instead.

Moreover, the idea with long Victorian photo exposures wasn’t to capture the moment, but the essence of the individual in a way that represented who they were for their entire life.

As Mark Twain said, there would be “nothing more damning than a silly, foolish smile fixed forever.”

Intrigued by these Victorian portraits? Next, have a look at 37 haunting photos of Victorian-era mental asylum patients. Then, check out this astounding Victorian’s guide to sex.

Whether haunting or silly, these Victorian portraits reveal what photography was like well over a century ago.#

Whether haunting or silly, these Victorian portraits reveal what photography was like well over a century ago.