Why People Didn’t Smile In Old Photographs

Ever look at old pictures and wonder why people are not smiling? Even in the happiest of occasions, people in the pictures are expressionless. Did people not have fun back in the day? Well, it turns out this was not the case. There were multiple reasons as to why people did not smile. The first of which is a little more obvious then the others.

1. People did not smile because early technology made it hard to capture smiles.

The long exposure times on the cameras made it hard to hold an expression for long periods of time. The exposure time for the larger photographs took as long as 15 minutes while others took about one full minute. The subjects in the photos had to be perfectly still in order to capture a crisp photo. Sometimes, props such as a headrest was used to help the subject maintain a posture for the long periods of time. In the 1900s, the exposure times had become quicker, but it was still very slow compared to today’s standards.

2. Photographs were influenced by paintings.

This meant no smiling. Photography today is about capturing a moment, but back in the day it was more a frozen presentation of the subject.

3. Photographs were seen as a passage to immortality.

A recently deceased person was photographed as if they were still alive. This was seen as a way to preserve the living for the future generations.

4. Victorian and Edwardian culture looked down on smiling.

Although this theory cannot be proved, it is suggested that people thought that smiling was only for idiots. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the culture may have not liked the smile but slowly learned to love it.