recreating a victorian photo studio

TheFlyingCamera

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I've got this project idea and I'd like to re-create the backdrops used in many victorian era photo studios, specifically the curtain-and-tieback thing. Getting the curtain is no problem - I can get velvet opaque curtains at Wal-Mart for cheap. What I'm having a hard time finding are the rope-and-tassel things. I can find plenty of small, cheap tiebacks with tassels, but what I'm looking for is something more substantial - anyone have any ideas on where I could find rope with tassels where the rope is at least 1" thick and the tassels are somewhere in the 20-24" length and 6" diameter range?
 

amac212

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Sounds like a nice project! I'm not quite sure, but I'm supposing a theater supply company would carry something - - had you checked?
 

CGW

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Most bigger fabric/drapery supply stores carry that sort of stuff.
 

removed account4

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fabric place, joanne fabrics and places like that carry these sort of items ..
 

Ian Grant

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It's a great idea.

I've been thinking about the application of analog photography in a couple of reproduction Victorian studio's that I've been to in the UK. They get a lot of kids (and adults) passing though and get them posed against the backgrounds in appropriate costumes only to ruin it all by shooting digital, and inkjet prints.

With a bit of thought and a small darkroom area they could watch Ilford or Adox direct positive paper prints being developed, for safety they could be shielded from chemistry ect, but they'd get a real silver gelatin print.

Ian
 

CGW

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You can also use cheap panel mural wallpaper with shallow DOF for a period trompe-l'œil effect.

For b&w, I've used nice but horrid colored fabric(usually dirt cheap) draped over background stands. Play with side lighting and you have a whole range of texture. Aside from the burlesque artists, the background set-up here is worth a look and shows what I'm talking about:

http://xritephoto.com/custom_page.a...om&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=brian_smith
 
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TheFlyingCamera

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The tassels I'm looking for are massive - about half a human head or bigger, not including the fringe. I just bought a Bogardus CDV that has what I'm thinking of in it - when it arrives, I'll scan it in and post it so you can see what I'm talking about. I've also thought about the mural wallpaper - I'm tempted to paint my own of the US Capitol as a backdrop for certain shots.
 
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