Naked Nudity

[eyesup]

What an odd photo. 

When movies were invented and the photographers would go out with their cameras, they would tell people to move around, because it was a ‘move’eee. People didn’t know what they were supposed to do, so a lot of early film clips are of folks just fidgeting and looking for something to so with their hands.

This is an early still photo and has a similar feel to it.
Hats? Taking a picture? Guess we need to put our hats on.

Two policemen, JohnP! Maybe they were a rowdy bunch. In each about 50% have their arms crossed. No place to put your hands. 

Duane

[eyesup]

. . an interesting character, doomed to die young, and his diary was largely destroyed by a relative after his death.

Odd that the diary of a clergyman would be destroyed.
Some times I believe we have more to fear from kin than from strangers.
Which reminds me of Bix Beiderbecke.

His parents didn’t want him to be a musician much less a jazzman and disapproved of his career. He sent them a copy of every recording he was on. They never opened them up, much less listened to them. I’ve heard they destroyed them all after his death at 28 yo. in 1931. Stunning ignorance! But it came from family.

Duane

[BlueTrain]

In the photos, both of them, I think the posing with the arms crossed was a typical strongman pose of the day. Even then, there were men who made a big deal of being strong, although not in the same way bodybuilders of today are but closer to weightlifters.

[nuduke]

I think, Duane that 1860 was not a long while after the introduction of photography (I believe wet plate processes came in in the 1850s) so the top hatted brigade may have had to stand there for quite a few seconds or minutes whilst the photo was exposed, hence the serious faces.  Everyone had to keep their face very still in those days.  What is hilarious is the top hats.  Knowing the average weather on Brighton beach, one would have to have someone hold your hat to avoid it being blown away!  I wonder if the swam in the hats!
John

[eyesup]

I remember that about the early photo plates. You had to stand stock still. That was the reason people had to break the habit of NOT MOVING in front of a camera.

If you put a chin strap on the hats they could be flotation devices. 

Duane

[jbeegoode]

Best use would be for storage...extra bunnies that you might have sitting around and such.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

Regarding old things, my wife and I are both retired now (finally) and we have been turning our attention to all the accumulated clutter we have. Some of it is quite old, too. My wife inherited some things from a house where someone lived as an old maid, or as is said in other places, spinster. They were fairly well off and the house was a virtual time capsule from before WWI. It was a family that had eight or ten children, none of whom have any living descendants. What do you do with things like that when no one wants them?

I'm also reminded of a former editor of Field and Stream (or Outdoor Life, whichever it was) who proudly displayed in his book about camping his collection of "patent" cooking gear. That was from around 1920. I ran across an interview with his son who mentioned that all his old things just got thrown away. One person's treasures are another person's trash. 

[eyesup]

What do you do with things like that when no one wants them?

If they were longtime members of the community, they may have history there others my be familiar with. You could contact a local Heritage Society or museum to see if they want any donated items.

There is a museum here, the Las Vegas Heritage Museum, that has entire homes or buildings donated and moved to a reconstructed neighborhood street so you can see how people lived 80-100 yrs. ago.

An organization like that might be interested.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

Pickers, ebay, or they are the definition of midwestern antiques. Craig's list. People actually want those things. Sometimes they remind them of someone else, or something when they were young, or they think them cool, or fun. It is an anachronism and generally somebody will go nuts for the stuff. Is it knickknacks, or furniture? If it is clothing, even the plain stuff is popular with the young, but probably best not to mention that here. Some of us might find offense, or immoral to distribute clothing....
Jbee

[eyesup]

Remembrances or nostalgia. Sometimes we keep a thing for no rational reason. It’s just a touchstone. I’ll run across a thing from my past or of my parent’s and it will bring a smile. It can be anything.

Clothes! How shocking! 
A thing to do for fun, Jbee. I seem to remember you mentioning dressing up in ancient outfits for something. We do things for the fun and it doesn’t hurt to keep the past at hand as a guide.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

I have one box with a piece of the Berlin Wall, a chunk of concrete and three inches of barbed wire, that I grabbed during my visit in 1965. The border patrol had their rifles drawn as they watched the hands messing with the wall. Next to that, lies my ticket to the Beatles in Paris March 10th, 1965. Then there is an old plastic model of a BSA motorcycle. I see these things every decade or so and still they are cool and memories, even the toy is still very neat, to me. I take it out and the wheels still turn, I stack the barbed wire over the block as a miniature and read the ticket. What insanity have I? I need a miniature Steve McQueen to jump the wall on the bike. How many times have I watched him do that great escape?

Tip of the iceberg.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

I was in Berlin when I was in the army, I think in 1966 or 1967. I still have my flag orders somewhere. It was an impressive barrier, yet people still got through.

Regarding "naked nudity," I wonder if posing as a nude model for a roomful of artists (and would-be artists) might be an example of naked nudity. It would not necessarily be embarrassing but being the only one naked would have to be different.

There are also all those people who, on special occasions, go about wearing nothing but body paint. It's cheating in a way but merely an exaggerated form of makeup which washes off. I have problems with people who have all-over body tattoos (because I know they won't wash off). But they're not as bad as pierced eyebrows and lips. My problem, not yours or theirs.

[eyesup]

I've read articles by people that did the nude model thing for extra cash. The comments were always along the line of being a little uneasy but at the same time that they knew that it was just people focusing on a sketch or painting.

There was no judgement going on, but definitely an odd experience.

Duane

[nudewalker]

Back in my college days, when I was in shape, an art student once asked if she could sketch me.  I agreed and she did a few sketches of me in my soccer uniform for her class. Later in the semester she approached me, rather shyly to ask if I would consider posing nude for her.  Before I had the chance to answer she added  no face just body. Like I wouldn't have agreed anyway.

[eyesup]

So, nudewalker, should we expect to see a sketch of you in a retrospective of an artist at some point?
 

Duane