Featured Very old ancestor drawing?

Another item from the hoard my sister left for me. This is what I assume are Drawings of great Aunt Gweneth's Grandparents. They are set in frames which are several inches deep, and held together with square head nails. They look kind of like drawings to me, but I have never seen anything like them. She (gweneth) was born about 1900 and these are her great grand parents. I am stumped on where to look to even GUESS what they are and if they have any Value besides family lore. Does anybody know anything about these?

 

I have one ofher Great Grandmother too. Same deep frame etc. Having trouble getting these resized so I can upload them. Will try for some better shots tomorrow.

 

Cool picture, Mike! These may be what are called "solar enlargements" where a photograph is enlarged and the basic details drawn over with colored pencil or "crayons" (not the crayola type.) The beard style looks mid-1800's to me.

How was Great Aunt Gweneth related to you - by blood or marriage? Gweneth is a Welsh name.

 

I think it's wonderful to see a representation of ancestors that far back.

The softness of the work makes me think of pastels. If they are pastels, be careful about touching the paper surface because the color could smudge or come off. I don't know if they had a way to stop that from happening in those days the way people do today with modern fixatives.

 

I believe she is my grandfathers sister........however I have never seen her name with any relation to Hoffman. her last name as I have always know it was Talbot(t) Rowe.
I don't think it is a photograph. I think he is older the photography. Tomorrow when I can get the photo's straightened out.....I'll show the frames better, they are at least 3 inches deep.

 

Those enlargements were often done from older methods of photography, not just the current ones. Or there might have been a painting of him that someone wanted to have a copy of.

 

There are non-photographic "art projector" devices that can project an image on paper so an artist can use it to trace or draw over the image. My mother had one for doing her textile designs and I still have it... um, somewhere.

It uses electricity and light, though, and I don't know if pre-electricty they had some sort of equivalent device? I also don't know if this type of projector could take a 3-dimensional form, like a person's face, and project it onto a sheet of paper or canvas?

 

The softness of the work makes me think of pastels...too !

 

Pastels was my first thought as well.
Still working on a second....

 

Hi,
I agree with solar enlargements. I have 6 or 7 portraits like yours of ancestors of mine that were done in the 1850s to 1865s. Yours shows a handsome gentleman of about 60 in 1850s.
greg

 

Many solar enlargements/crayon portraits provided a way to reproduce earlier photos. And sometimes photos taken at the same time of enlargement. I agree that is what this one is (and probably the other one, too).

Here's some history. The enlarger was invented in 1857 and the technique was popular from about 1860 into the early 20th century (a long time).
http://sgarwood.com/node/52

 

ok. got the camera fixed. her are a few more pics. I am pretty sure it may be a crayon portrait as others suggest. wondering if I should take them out of the frame. the frame is very deep and the back wood looks old. there seems to be newspaper or something with writing on it behind the pictures, and I KNOW that's not good. Wondering what it could be and if it is from the era these were made.

 

Thank you all for your replies and input. I learned a few new things today!

 

Glad you got the camera going!

"Gwyneth" is definitely a Welsh name and she mentions her grandfather in England. It appears that her maiden name was Rowe. I will have to pull out my notes on your earlier family tree thread to see what pops out.

 

What does the little note on the front of the woman's picture say? I see a "Philip" or "Philips"?

 

it says......Great Grandmother of Phillips or Rowe.

I Googled James Taylor Rowe.....Born in Ga. in 1840. Died in Alabama 1884. assuming he is connected somehow.

 

Found her! Gwyneth Bernice Rowe, born 26 Apr 1906 in Laurium, Houghton, Michigan to Joseph John Rowe and Sophia Bertha Holombo. Married Melvin Wain Talbott 12 Dec 1938 in Laurium. She died 5 Feb 1990 in Durand, Shiawassee County, Michigan, residence Owosso.

There's someone in your tree who married a Holombo but I can't remember who.

 

That would be my great grandfather Henry. Married Minnie Holombo

 

so Gwyneth is only related to me by marriage. she was the daughter of my Great Grandmothers sister. Which makes her a distant cousin??? if anything....