Antique photo on canvas?

decotis · Nov 26, 2022

I have this antique photo, appears to be canvas underneath. Never seen this before

glbeas · Nov 26, 2022

There were canvas textured photo paper way back when. No telling if thats what you’ve got.

decotis · Nov 26, 2022

glbeas said:
There were canvas textured photo paper way back when. No telling if thats what you’ve got.

Maybe that is what it is, didn't know they did that, its very old

gone · Nov 26, 2022

I do that with my pastels because I don't want to spray them w/ fixative, that really dumbs down the sparkle and tonality.

I can't tell from the photo above, but the op should be sure there isn't glass that is touching the photograph. That can stick to it, and ruin it. Glass should be placed about 1/8" from the photos w/ little spacers.

The same thing can happen w/ that old paper on the back. I would carefully take it off and redo it, but leave some places a little open to vent it. If it's completely sealed, temperature changes in the home can cause problems. You can tell from the look of it that it isn't acid free paper, so make sure you use a paper that is if you redo it.

Ian Grant · Nov 27, 2022

The British Journal Photographic Almanacs contained formulae for emulsions for coating on fabrics and canvas. Also back in the 1890s you could buy dry sensitised emulsion, you added water, then warmed it coating after it liquified. There were many options.

Ian

guangong · Nov 27, 2022

momus said:
I do that with my pastels because I don't want to spray them w/ fixative, that really dumbs down the sparkle and tonality.

I can't tell from the photo above, but the op should be sure there isn't glass that is touching the photograph. That can stick to it, and ruin it. Glass should be placed about 1/8" from the photos w/ little spacers.

The same thing can happen w/ that old paper on the back. I would carefully take it off and redo it, but leave some places a little open to vent it. If it's completely sealed, temperature changes in the home can cause problems. You can tell from the look of it that it isn't acid free paper, so make sure you use a paper that is if you redo it.

Momus, I’m interested, but not quite clear. I use a heavily textured paper. Do you use canvas or heavily canvas textured paper? If canvas, do you paste canvas on to a firm backing?

ic-racer · Nov 27, 2022

I'd guess 1940s-1950s

Ian Grant · Nov 27, 2022

It's earlier than that, more likely between 1900 and 1920.

Ian

foc · Nov 27, 2022

My understanding is these late 19th/early 20th Century photos were liquid emulsion applied to canvas and not a photo print stuck to canvas.

Ian Grant · Nov 27, 2022

foc said:
My understanding is these late 19th/early 20th Century photos were liquid emulsion applied to canvas and not a photo print stuck to canvas.

100% correct either you mixed the emulsion yourself and there were plenty of formulae in the BJP Almanacs and other publications. Or as I posted earlier a company I think Simeons sold a dry granulated emulsion. I know the advert in a BJP Almanac was small, and the early 1900 copies run typically to over 1300 pages. There would not have been liquid emulsions available on the market at that time.

If or rather when I find the advert I'll scan it, I think Simeon may possible just have been a Gelatin supplier, the dried emulsion may be in an advert with other products.

Ian

decotis · Nov 27, 2022

Ian Grant said:
100% correct either you mixed the emulsion yourself and there were plenty of formulae in the BJP Almanacs and other publications. Or as I posted earlier a company I think Simeons sold a dry granulated emulsion. I know the advert in a BJP Almanac was small, and the early 1900 copies run typically to over 1300 pages. There would not have been liquid emulsions available on the market at that time.

If or rather when I find the advert I'll scan it, I think Simeon may possible just have been a Gelatin supplier, the dried emulsion may be in an advert with other products.

Ian

thanks for the help, I was kind of wondering if this photo was placed on top of long lost of piece of artwork worth millions LOL, but don't want to take it apart for no reason.

Ian Grant · Nov 27, 2022

decotis said:
thanks for the help, I was kind of wondering if this photo was placed on top of long lost of piece of artwork worth millions LOL, but don't want to take it apart for no reason.

I think the tricycle would be quite valuable, I also think it's a clue to the age of the photograph as well. I have photos of my grandmother and her two sisters on their bicycles before she got married in 1910. Bicycles were more sophisticated by that time, there's also a photo of my father's sister on a tricycle again not very different to the tricycle I had in 1956/7. So I think the image is closer to 1900.

Ian

cowanw · Nov 27, 2022

It would seem to be a Hughes Velocipede circa 1900

1900s Thos Hughes Children's Velocipede Tricycle – The Online Bicycle Museum

1900s Thos Hughes Children's Velocipede Tricycle

onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk

Ian Grant · Nov 28, 2022

I think you are right, and the date matches my estimate.

Ian

pamphoto · May 28, 2023

I have one like this of my great great great grandmother as a young woman. It is a thin photograph paper applied to canvas. It is in poor shape and the paper is coming off the canvas. I've had it digitally restored, but still have the original in storage.

Antique photo on canvas?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency