hdesousa Posted March 11, 2014 Report Share Posted March 11, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted March 11, 2014 Report Share Posted March 11, 2014 looks like a big ol Bennie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmarblenut Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 His breath??? LOL, looks like a benny or maybe a china with flowers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdesousa Posted March 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Thanks guys. Just wanted a second opinion that it looks like a marble of sorts. I thought it looked more like a blemished apple, with the stem at around 2 o'clock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmarblenut Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 This photo reminds me of something strange they used to do back in those days, sometimes when I child would die, they would take a photo of the child posed in a chair, most often you would see an arm holding the child up from behind, we have an old family photo of that sort, every time my aunt gets it out to show off I get the willies, she said it was her GG grandfathers brother who died from whooping cough in the 1860's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjmarble Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Check this auction for a similar pic. http://www.ebay.com/itm/171261373142 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Marble Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Check this auction for a similar pic. http://www.ebay.com/itm/171261373142 Looks like a swan sulphide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clydetul62 Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Hansel, I saw that auction for longest time. Never could figure what he was holding. Whether its a marble or a ball. Its reason I never bid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckEye Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 If you look under the child's right armpit you can see the chord extends there and below his right hand. The left hand also appears to be holding a bulb or sphere as well. Perhaps the chord wraps around the child's back or connects the two spheres. But why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killermarbles Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 That's a apple with lutz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronmarbles Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Could be a chord used to hold the child in the chair. They are quite squirmy at this age...lol Here's my fave vintage marble photo.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Although it looks like some sort of marble,i can't imagine a mother gives it to her baby,it,s too dangerous. I'll go for some sort of rattle.LOL i think we will never know for sure. This rattle is from my celluloid collection.It has a swan inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdesousa Posted March 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Although it looks like some sort of marble,i can't imagine a mother gives it to her baby,it,s too dangerous. I'll go for some sort of rattle.LOL i think we will never know for sure. This rattle is from my celluloid collection.It has a swan inside. That's an interesting rattle! Do you think this is a rattle as well, or a sulphide marble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Dog Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Looks like a Hamster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 The second pic- could also be a rattle made of clear celluloid material. My rattle has on the bottom a sort of eye,wich a cord or ribbon can be attached. I think the baby on your pic- has a cord in one hand and the rattle in the other hand,if he/she moves the ball the swan moves aswell. celluloid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celluloid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 It looks to me like the first child is either holding an apple, or my best guess is that it's a yo-yo. I don't think that it is a marble. The girl could also be holding a snowdome but they usually have a base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyw Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 This certainly looks like a postmortem photo to me. The expression and the very limp posture of the child are an indication of this. In the eighteenth and well into the nineteenth century postmortem portraiture, especially of children, was not unusual. As photography became available, the practice continued. Among the many books that describe this phenomenon is "The Art of Family, Genealogical Artifacts in New England" by D. Brenton Simons and Peter Benes. At the same time, and well into the 1900's, children of both sexes were dressed alike from birth through their first years. So, to indicate the gender of the child certain symbols were commonly used. A girl would often be depicted holding a flower and a boy would be posed with some sort of toy. The toys I have seen though were usually age-appropriate - a rattle for a baby or a ball,game or book for an older boy. This makes me doubt that the object in question is a marble. But, who knows, anything is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbobam Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 Yo-yo is an interesting idea. Wouldn't have thought of that, but a semi-round object in a two dimensional photo could certainly appear completely round. Combining info from Winnie and Stacy, since I know nothing myself, the 'rattle hypothesis' sounds really good for the second photo. And that large a marble would be too heavy. Super great old photo from Akronmarbles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdesousa Posted March 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 This certainly looks like a postmortem photo to me. The expression and the very limp posture of the child are an indication of this. In the eighteenth and well into the nineteenth century postmortem portraiture, especially of children, was not unusual. As photography became available, the practice continued. Among the many books that describe this phenomenon is "The Art of Family, Genealogical Artifacts in New England" by D. Brenton Simons and Peter Benes. At the same time, and well into the 1900's, children of both sexes were dressed alike from birth through their first years. So, to indicate the gender of the child certain symbols were commonly used. A girl would often be depicted holding a flower and a boy would be posed with some sort of toy. The toys I have seen though were usually age-appropriate - a rattle for a baby or a ball,game or book for an older boy. This makes me doubt that the object in question is a marble. But, who knows, anything is possible. I can imagine a bullseye on a carpetball that the boy is holding, and agree that the kid is most likely dead. Perhaps that's why his cheeks are colored, in addition to the reasons you've given, especially when compared to the post-mortem photos here: (Warning, post mortem means dead. And in this case, it's death with dignity.) http://io9.com/the-strangest-tradition-of-the-victorian-era-post-mort-472772709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyw Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 Thanks for the link Hansel. Some may find these images gruesome, but I don't. To me, they seem like loving remembrances that represent a much healthier accceptance of death as a part of life than what we have today. Having such extended and intimate contact with a deceased relative's body may have helped the family work through the grieving process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 At least they did not do what Roy did to Trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbobam Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 Well, this whole idea isn't really any different from an open-casket, is it? I don't personally like this sort of thing, but can certainly respect it as something that brings comfort and closure to a large number of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyw Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 One needs to remember too, that when these photos were taken, folks were unlikely to have any other images of the child. We can't judge by today's standards, when we have photos, videos, etc,,ad nauseum of children from even before birth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmuehlba Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I lost a very good friend a few years ago , his wife had the every thing in there living room , at first I thought it would be very weird and almost did not go but it turned out to be a very good funeral . I also took pictures and am very glad I did . I could go on and on but will not but I just think about that day a lot . Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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