Figure 1 – Napolean Sarong “Yound Couple c1870” gentleman. In the public domain by virtue of its age.

In researching Sunday’s blog about Napoleon Sarony I came across this beautiful set of “Imperial” photographs that he took around 1870. c1870 is my conclusion both because of the photographer’s Broadway address and because of the lady’s dress – somewhere between 1870 and 1877. The hoop in the rear with bundles of fabric was characteristic. To me the appeal of these unknown, to us, individuals exceeds in a way similar images of celebrities of the day.

What is so wonderful to my mind is Sarony’s skill at drawing out his subjects. He worked with an assistant who controlled the bulb and would sing, dance, hoot, and make animal noises to get the subject to give him an appealing pose.  Then he would signal the assistant to take the image.

What I see in the faces of this couple (I would venture that they were married at the time because if you take a magnifying loop to the original you see just a glimpse of a gold band on the ring finger of the lady’s left hand. You can in fact see this in the scanned image.) is what is referred to today, as a deep sense of American exceptionalism.  This couple is out to conquer the world. They are young. They are Americans at a point in history when everything was possible. The man stands in a forceful commanding posture his gloved hands slightly clinched as if he is prepared to take us on. And the lady, with her elegant earrings and appealing eyes, has the most magnificent “Mona Lisa” smile. These images are Sarony at his best, at the height of the portraitist’s art.

* I have scanned these images from the original and with the exception of removing some of the scanning artifacts have left them un-retouched.

Figure 1 – Napolean Sarong “Yound Couple c1870” lady. In the public domain by virtue of its age.