Why people never smiled in old photos

Early portraits looked pretty grim.

A lot of old photos from the 19th and early 20th century are fraught with doom and gloom—and on the occasion the literal dead face. That led to the popular belief that people just did not smile in old photographs. The common explanation is due to the limited technology at the time to capture a smile. Exposure times were long and the thinking was it's easier to hold a serious expression over a long period. Another theory included early photography being heavily influenced by painting (which meant no smiling).

Video by Phil Edwards and Gina Barton.

[billievanderpol]

2019 : why people never smiled in old photos
2119 : why people did duck faces in old photos

[FatBoxHead]

The real question is: Why do we smile in photos?

[dangerouslytalented]

That chinese guy could really sell rice. Damn I want rice now.

[Killermy]

I just noticed you can't spell funeral without fun.

[MeteoricMarlin]

My favorite Victorian photo is that of a couple taking a series of photos and as they progress something must have made them laugh and the woman in the photo covers her face shiny while her husband hugs her. It's a really sweet moment in time that I get to witness long after they're gone.

[amandaduckett]

omg yes that picture of the guy eating rice is my favourite I want it framed

[genesismayer]

at first i freaked out because of the dead people photos but then i got even more panicked because EVERY photo in this video is of a dead person 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[HavootuKali]

i always thought people didnt smile because pictures were such a new thing... no one knew "how to pose" for a picture.... no one ever seemed to really know what to do with themselves... there was no code or etiquette for taking pics so they just stood there lmao...

[DoblyTufnell]

I asked this question to a very old woman. 90+. She said "They did not smile as they usually had rotten teeth".

[aidanmco]

Future vox video:

Why all photos between 2014 and 2017 are selfies

[florrie.]

Never thought I would say that, but I learned this with A Million Ways to Die in the West.

[IIllytchnonadinfinitum]

3:00 Nice. I was asking myself during the video, "I wonder what some of the silliest older pictures would look like." This must be one of them. Dude's a boss.

[cheesecake]

I love the "Victorian photo shoot gone wrong" with the couple trying to do the serious thing and then bursting into giggles. It's so cute and real.

[SamMasghati]

Considering how 2020 went so far, i say we start this "no smile" trend again

[thCentury-rxdi]

It took too long to take the photo, that's why.

[DenianArcoleo]

I think another reason is the modern obsession with proving to others that you're having a a great and wonderful life. Anything less (i.e. not smiling in a photo) is literally losing face.

[olliephelan]

It was also because most people had bad teeth

[billybassman]

I rarely smile in my pictures. I guess being around a bunch of hard asses growing up will do that to a person. I actually like those old pictures and he way they posed.

[viktorvaughn]

I always find smiles to be so fake in photos

[kimpeater]

It's remarkable that photography is taken for granted these days