Camera Obscura

Serene Woman and Baby

2007-06-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

A truly lovely, peaceful photo of a woman and child. The color of this photo is just beautiful and very rich.

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in three sizes:

a) The photo is 2.5 x 3.5 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 4 x 6 paper.

b) The photo is 3.875 x 5.25 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

c) The photo is 5.25 x 7 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Lost & Found Photos

2007-06-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Lost & Found Photos (TheCameraObscuraEtc.blogspot.com) is my new blog -- a companion blog to this one. In it I will post images of the many, many photos in my collection that I love, but for which I don't have plans to make reproductions to sell in my Etsy shop. These are some of my favorite photographs, but not necessarily the kind I would expect mixed-media artists to purchase to use in their work. However if at any time you see an image in Lost & Found Photos of which you would like a reproduction, you can contact me, and I can have a custom print made for you.

Connor

2007-06-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Connor and friend. What happened to Connor’s nose?

I adore this photo. Look at the pose, and the symmetry of the two boys and the two horses. Where are they going and where have they come from? The friend wears a U.S. Army / Air Force t-shirt. Are they military? On leave? Just what is their story?

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in three sizes:

a) The photo is 2.5 x 3.5 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 4 x 6 paper.

b) The photo is 3.625 x 4.125 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

c) The photo is 4.875 x 6.875 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Woman on the Rocks

2007-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

A lovely, hand-tinted portrait of a woman sitting on a large rock in a field, surrounded by other standing stones. She wears gloves, boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and a coat with fur-trimmed collar and cuffs. The palette of colors in this photo is subtle and delicate.

The rocks by which she is surrounded cause me to wonder if this is a photo from Great Britain or Ireland, though the location is unknown. She has a slight Mona-Lisa-esque smile and a distant expression. I think this photo would make a beautiful foundation for a collage or assemblage.

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in four sizes:

a) The photo is 2.125 x 3.25 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 4 x 6 paper.

b) The photo is 3.25 x 4.875 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

c) The photo is 4.25 x 6.5 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

d) The photo is 6.25 x 9.5 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Four Generations

2007-05-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Three women and a baby. I’m not positive, but it looks to me like four generations. A mother with her baby in her arms, her mother (the baby’s grandma), and HER mother (great-grandma). In any case, they all have the same expression on their face, including the baby.

I love this photo because it is surreal and yet so perfectly “normal.” It is one of those old photographs that really sends me thinking about who these people are: what were their lives like, were they happy, were they hard-working, what hardships did they face? Then it is offset by the sadly funny sternness of the four generations, and it is like seeing through time -- what that baby will look like in 25 years, 50, 75?…

The back is stamped: Hammond / “The photographer in your town” / Porterville, California / Mar 25 1947

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 5.25 x 9 inches (horizontal). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 3.5 x 6 inches (horizontal). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Two Vintage Letters with Envelopes, amazing handwriting, digital hi-resolution scans (CameraObscura CD no. 2)

2007-05-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Letter and envelope #1:

Letter and envelope #2:

This CD contains hi-resolution scans of two vintage letters and their accompanying envelopes. Both are to the same gentleman, but 15 years apart. Both are in beautiful fountain-pen handwriting, and could be used in a multitude of ways as textured elements or backgrounds for collage and mixed-media artwork.

1) A letter written 12 May 1907, to “Nephew.” The author (Uncle?) had just returned from Shanghai. While the letter was sent from the United States (from and to San Francisco), it is written on stationery from the Central Hotel, Shanghai. The paper is quite thin, somewhat transparent, and has an excellent red-orange letterhead. The letter is one sheet, but 4 pages total; it opens like a book and so pages 2 and 3 are written on the inside, while page 1 is the front and page 4 the back. (Approximately 5 x 8.5 inches vertical [closed], 10 x 8.5 inches horizontal [open].)

The accompanying envelope is a faded olive green, and says “Palace Hotel, Shanghai” on the back. Cancellation: 7 June 1907, San Francisco. (Approximately 3 x 6 inches horizontal.)

2) A letter written 26 June 1922, to “Dearest.” The author is writing while on a train (“…many people in the car – no one interesting.”). One sheet, written on front and back. (5 x 8 inches vertical.)

The accompanying envelope has a “Southern Pacific Lines” logo on the back. Cancellation: 1922, San Francisco. (3.5 x 5.5 inches horizontal.)

[the specifics]
Camera Obscura's goal is to supply high-quality reproductions of vintage ephemera for artists to use in their own mixed-media, collage, assemblage, and altered-photo artwork. These scans are of original pieces from my collection.

- The scans are at 300dpi (press-quality), full-color RGB mode, each at the dimensions of the original plus a half-inch white border.
- Separate scans of the front and back of each envelope, and each page of each letter, so 9 scans total
- Each scan is supplied in TIFF and JPEG format, so the CD contains 18 files in all.

Need just one scan, or need it right away? Letters and envelopes are also available as JPEG files for download (instead of shipped on CD) in my Etsy Shop.

Buy this CD at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Vintage Postcards and Envelope, digital hi-resolution scans (CameraObscura CD no. 1)

2007-05-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

This CD contains hi-resolution scans of two vintage postcards and one vintage envelope.

1) French postcard to Monsieur Montagu, Pharmacien de 1er classe. An original postcard from the 1890s, offering a free sample of “Dragees Hecnet.” (3.5 x 5 inches, horizontal).

2) German postcard to Paul Maslowski, of an export company in Bonn, about (I think) beads; original, dated 8 March 1921. (3.5 x 5.5 inches, horizontal).

3) Envelope sent to Berkeley, CA, from the Grand Hotel Bellagio, Venice, postmarked 1896. This original envelope has two beautiful blue engravings on the front, and a decorative stamp that says “Saluti da Venezia” on the back. (4.5 x 5.75 inches, horizontal).

[the specifics]
Camera Obscura's goal is to supply high-quality reproductions of vintage ephemera for artists to use in their own mixed-media, collage, assemblage, and altered-photo artwork. These scans are of original pieces from my collection.

- The scans are at 300dpi (press-quality), full-color RGB mode, each at the dimensions of the original plus a half-inch white border.
- Separate scans of front and back of each piece -- six different scans total.
- Each scan is supplied in TIFF and JPEG format, so the CD contains 12 files in all.

Need just one scan, or need it right away? Each postcard and the envelope are also available as JPEG files for download (instead of shipped on CD) in my Etsy shop.

Buy this CD at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

And Sylvia the Dog

2007-05-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

A couple and a dog. The man wears a World War II naval uniform and stands with a woman in white in front of a house; they hold a rather small, very sweet dog.

On the back of the photo is written, “Mary, Myself, and Sylvia (the dog).” The back is also stamped “Bicknell Photo Services / Jun 30 1942 / Portland, Maine.” Other numbers are on the back in different pen and handwriting; I don’t know what they are, and wonder if they are related to the military, and if this photo was carried by the man when he went to war.

(The back of the photo is shown with the listing because it is so interesting, however it is not part of the reproduction.)

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 5 x 7 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 2.5 x 3.5 inches (vertical). The reproduction is printed on 4 x 6 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Double Happiness (double exposure of little girl)

2007-05-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

A fortuitous accident led to this double exposure of a young girl in a white dress in front of a white wooden fence in front of a house with storybook shutters and climbing morning glories. This is one of my favorite photographs in my entire collection. It so surreal, and so evocative.

In the main exposure she smiles, with her arms at her sides; in the double-exposure she’s smiling just a bit less, and it looks like her hands are on her hips -- tired of being photographed? The focus of the original is soft, the image very light and ethereal. It always reminds me of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 5.625 x 7.75 inches (vertical). The image area, not including the original border, is 4.25 x 6.25 inches. The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 2.75 x 3.875 inches (vertical). The image area, not including the original border, is 2.125 x 3.125 inches. The reproduction is printed on 4 x 6 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

A young girl and a younger boy

2007-05-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

A particularly lovely tintype of what is probably an older sister and younger brother. The boy sits with crossed legs and wears a ribbon tie and fantastic striped stockings; the girl rests her hand on his arm. They look alike – so serious, as children often do in tintypes.

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The tintype, with its original border, is irregularly shaped but approximately 3 x 4 inches (vertical). This reproduction is professionally printed on 4 x 6 paper.

b) The tintype, with its original border, is irregularly shaped but approximately 5.625 x 8 inches (vertical). This reproduction is professionally printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Previews: Future Etsy Listings

2007-05-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

The following are photos that will be listed as reproductions for sale in my Etsy shop within the next few weeks. Should you have any information or guesses about dates or locations, please leave a comment!

A young women with three small children on the beach. A nanny and her charges on summer vacation? The child on the right holds a flower. Date and location unknown.

Connor and a friend. And some horses. What happened to Connor's nose? Date and location unknown. 1950s?

A beautiful hand-tinted portrait of a woman in a hat and a coat with fur trim, sitting on a rock, surrounded by standing stones. Date, location unknown.

A mother and child. Haunting.

Two Women and a Fountain

2007-05-20T16:02:00.003-07:00

Two women in white stand on the edge of a shallow pool – a fountain? – holding hands. The composition of the photo is beautiful and the feeling, while slightly precarious, is happy and balanced.

Around the early 1930s. One woman is named Mary, and they’re in Ohio.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 3.5 x 6 inches (horizontal). This reproduction is professionally printed on 5 x 7 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 5.25 x 9 inches (horizontal). This reproduction is professionally printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Bathing Beauty

2007-05-20T16:02:00.001-07:00

A black & white photo of a young woman posing in fashionable swim attire -- a day in the back yard. Just look at her wonderful handbag.

The original photo is out of focus, but that lends a sweet softness to her girlish features and pixie-haircut.

Date unknown – early 1950s?

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 3.5 x 3.5 inches. The image area, not including the original border, is 3.125 x 3 inches (horizontal). The reproduction is professionally printed on 5 x 7 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 5.5 x 5.5 inches. The image area, not including the original border, is 4.5 x 4.75 inches (horizontal). This reproduction is professionally printed on 8 x 10 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

A Grand Day Out

2007-05-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Twelve young people on an outing in their automobiles. Five sit in one car while the other seven pose on and around it (their own car just visible in the background). The couple sitting on the running-board is especially wonderful.

Notable for the tires of the automobile, the calm and dignified expressions on their faces, and the fantastic chance positioning of the house and people in the distance just over the rear tire (see detail image).

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 3.75 x 6.5 inches (horizontal). The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 2.5 x 4.375 inches (horizontal). The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

Two Children Playing on Beach

2007-05-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Two young children (a brother and sister?) play with a bucket on the sandy beach. The girl smiles at the camera while her curly-headed companion concentrates intently on play.

The focus of the original is a bit soft; the photo has a lovely, light, ethereal quality that evokes childhood innocence and friendship.

Date unknown.

[the specifics]
This photo is available in two sizes:

a) The photo, with its original border, is 6.25 x 8.75 inches (vertical). The image area, not including the original border, is 4.675 x 7.125 inches. The reproduction is printed on 8 x 10 paper.

b) The photo, with its original border, is 4.125 x 5.75 inches (vertical). The image area, not including the original border, is 3.125 x 4.75 inches. The reproduction is printed on 5 x 7 paper.

It will soon be available at 2.75 x 3.75 inches (vertical) on 6 x 4 paper, which is the true size of the original photo.

Buy this photo at the Camera Obscura Etsy shop.

CameraObscura.etsy.com

2007-05-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

I own an extensive collection of beautiful vintage photographs. As an artist myself, I often hesitate to use the original photographs, because once they're gone, they're gone for good. I treasure them too much to part with them.

Often the originals are so aged and delicate that they’re brittle, torn or tearing, warped or stiff, or in an otherwise distressed condition -- and as a result, just too difficult to work with.

Camera Obscura's goal is to supply high-quality, professionally printed reproductions of vintage photographs, as true to the originals as possible, for artists to use in their own mixed-media, collage, assemblage, and altered-photo artwork.

[the process]
The original photographs are scanned at 300 dpi, true to color. The entire photo is scanned, including the borders and edges. I then do a minimal amount of retouching to reduce dust, major tears, or discoloration and flaws that have developed over the years.

The reproductions are professionally printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper, that, quoth the lab, "with its 108 year rating ... will last for generations to come." Each print is inspected and approved by me prior to listing.

[the benefits]
Because these are reproductions, each photograph is available in unlimited number –- you can use your favorites repeatedly –- even multiples of one image in a single work. I can offer you the same image in a range of sizes and finishes, and in the original color, black & white, or even a tint.

The Fuji paper tears cleanly, allowing you to create deckle-type edges. Any number of adhesives can be used to affix them to your base. Ink and paint adhere well to the surface. And, for those of you who use beeswax, these photos will withstand it! Too often the high temperature of the beeswax process will ruin an original photo, pulling the image right off the backing, or else the photo itself is too heavy or warped to successfully fix it to a surface with the wax.

These photographs are beautiful works of art in their own right, touching or funny moments captured in time; presented in either a simple modern frame or decorative antique one, any one of these images would make a wonderful gift.

[the options]
CameraObscura welcomes special orders and variations. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to order any photographs --

- With a gloss finish
- As a black & white reproduction
- Tinted a particular color for your project
- At a specific size
- Without the original border
- On metallic photo paper
- On archival fine art paper (as opposed to photo paper)
- With more of a white border, for framing, to add to your collection, or give as a gift
- In quantity with bulk-pricing discounts
… or ask me about any other ideas or requests you might have.

If you'd like a sample on which to test your collage techniques, just contact me.

[the future]
As my collection grows, so will my listings. I hope to expand to include:
- original vintage photos
- high-resolution scans of vintage letters and postcards as digital files on CD
- additional supplies such as vintage albums, album pages, photo-postcards, vintage photo souvenir-sets, and more.

[terms of use]
All original photographs are part of my private collection. The photographic reproductions you purchase via Etsy may be used in any manner you wish in your own artwork, or simply as an addition to your photography collection. All artwork using these images may be resold and reproduced under your own terms. However, please do not copy, resell, or distribute the unmodified reproductions themselves for profit.

The “CameraObscura” watermark is on the display photos only. Display photos copyright CameraObscura, and may not be reproduced under any circumstances without prior permission.

[+++]

Lost & Found Photos (TheCameraObscuraEtc.blogspot.com) is the companion blog to this one, with many, many more photographs from my collection -- my favorites. I do not keep reproductions of those images on hand, but should you see a photo for which you would like a reproduction, contact me, and I can have a custom print made for you.

CameraObscura is a Vendor Member of ZNE: variaZioNE Mixed-Media Art Group
http://www.zneart.com/

Please visit my other shop, haikubird.etsy.com, where I sell my own mixed-media drawings, paintings, collages, ACEOs, ex libris, and original photographs.