Photos of Imperial Germany

[Mder1]

So I found some photos of relatives lying in the attic and I was wondering if someone could answer some questions about them:

What rank does he have? And can you tell me when this was probably shot? (At the moment I guess between 1890 and 1914).

Why is she dressed as Germania? Was this chick at that time? Did people do that, same as dressing children in military uniforms?

 

[Sarmatia1871]

Today we learn that the citizens of the Wilhelmine Kaiserreich were not very enthusiastic cosplayers.

 

[Jazumir]

Pic1 - in case the city of Rüstringen in Oldenburg is refered to in the frame, that city existed only from 1911 to 1937. It was formed by the unification of the communities of Heppens, Bent and Neuende and is now part of Wilhelmshaven. That would put the taking of the picture betwen 1911 and 1918. Unless it was reframed.

EDIT: Google maps knows of no town of that name in germany, today.

EDIT2: The rank seems to be ´Obersteuermann´, according to this

 

[gladius2metal]

Today we learn that the citizens of the Wilhelmine Kaiserreich were not very enthusiastic cosplayers.

made my day! Still to this day, this is the look audiences give you in Germany, Austria and maybe other European countries if you give a talk/presentation, no matter how good or bad it is. Source: my own experience and Tim Ferriss. ... or as on related note one Canadian grandma noted in reference about her grandson (how had an Austrian father) "only negative stroking".

 

[Mder1]

Pic1 - in case the city of Rüstringen in Oldenburg is refered to in the frame, that city existed only from 1911 to 1937. It was formed by the unification of the communities of Heppens, Bent and Neuende and is now part of Wilhelmshaven. That would put the taking of the picture betwen 1911 and 1918. Unless it was reframed.

EDIT: Google maps knows of no town of that name in germany, today.

EDIT2: The rank seems to be ´Obersteuermann´, according to this

Thanks that is helpful.

 

[imperium3]

Today we learn that the citizens of the Wilhelmine Kaiserreich were not very enthusiastic cosplayers.

That expression is normal for all these old photos though. I've heard that the idea of smiling in photos came in later, and at first people imitated painted portraits where serious expressions were the norm.

 

[kaoss]

I've heard that the idea of smiling in photos came in later, and at first people imitated painted portraits where serious expressions were the norm.

Long exposure times had something to do with that. I's easy to keep an straight face for an extended period of time.

 

[kaoss]

Today we learn that the citizens of the Wilhelmine Kaiserreich were not very enthusiastic cosplayers.

Photographers usually had lots of "ancient" and "exotic" stuff for fancy photos.

 

[Jazumir]

Long exposure times had something to do with that. I's easy to keep an straight face for an extended period of time.

...and then, one day, Mr. Bean opened a photo-studio and everything changed.

EDIT: In fact, i would claim, that people simply didnt have anything to smile about back then, and it was the rise of humour that spured an amazing developement in photography, with an ever increasing need for shorter exposition times. You know, like cute kitten videos facilitate the developement of ever faster broadband connections these days.

Or like how interracial marriage made colour-photography a neccissity in a society, that was still racist enough, to make it seem obligatory to determine a person´s skin-tone on a photograph.

Just kidding... (here, have a ´helpful´ cause your point is a good one)

 

[Sarmatia1871]

Long exposure times had something to do with that. I's easy to keep an straight face for an extended period of time.

That is sadly a myth. The very earliest photographic technologies do have very long exposure times, but these are reduced to only a few seconds by the 1850s, and continue to diminish all through the rest of the nineteenth century.

People being photographed would need to stand relatively still, but it would not be for a length of time which would make it obligatory to look Stern and Serious. The poses and faces people adopt for photographs in this period is mainly down to conventions and what they think looks good/appropriate.

Contrariwise however, there is a whole flickr account full of 19th-century/1900s people with smiling or naturalistic expressions here: https://www.flickr.com/groups/513477@N22/pool/