Featured Little pictures in a little carved frame box

I'm not sure if it's worth anything, it's not my family so I have no ties to it but the box looks fancy. It's like 3x3 in size

 

@Figtree3 May need to see closer pictures of the photos and the case (it's a case not a box,) but can give you details.

 

The case looks to be made of Gutta-percha. Sap from a tree that produces a latex like plastic when heated and processed.

 

If you go back in to your post and click on the very TOP IMAGE that says "INSERT EVERY IMAGE AS A FULL IMAGE", then we can ALL see them FULL size.... many members here use cell phones and have difficulty seeing 'thumbnails'... thank you so much!! I've straightened and posted one....

 

Pity they've been separated from their families.

Debora

 

Thanks my phone doesn't get much better than what I posted...I should invest in a new phone lol

 

Thanks! I did that

 

I agree. But it wasn't my fault and the family doesnt want them. I tried.

 

THAT'S too bad, as they are collectible anyway!!! Even if it were just for the nice cases they are in!!!!

 

You have a set of "cased" photographs, probably about 1860 based on the costumes and the design of the case and fittings. Difficult to be sure from your photos, but they may be ambrotypes - photographs made on a glass plate (as opposed to a tintype, which would be on metal). The type of case is referred to as a "union case", most probably made of an early thermoplastic made from shellac and wood fibers (not gutta percha, though frequently misidentified as such).
These have value to collectors of early photography, even if you don't know the subjects. And photographs of women and children are more unique.

 

The woman looks like she is in mourning dress as does the older daughter.

 

Sometimes the people are identified on small slips of paper, placed behind the image. There is a way to very carefully remove the photo from the case to see whether such paper is there. I was instructed on how to do it when I had 4 or 5 family pieces that I needed to figure out - but that was probably 8 or 9 years ago before we moved to this site.

 

@2manybooks said it all! Or most, anyway. One more thing I'll add is that the mats (the brass frames around the pictures) don't match each other in design. This leads me to believe that the two pictures weren't originally together in the case, Or that the mat on at least one of them has been replaced. Also, the preserver (the thinner brass rim) on the picture on the right appears to be twisted or pulled out of shape along the bottom, an indication that it was removed from the case and the preserver removed at least once in its life, and put back sloppily.

These are not terrible problems. I've found it's pretty rare to find cased images that have never been tinkered with some time in their 150-180 years of existence.