Andrea Kaston Tange, Macalester College

Collectors relish so-called “hidden mother photographs” as historical oddities.

These 19th-century images contain very young children held still by half-obscured adults who crouch behind chairs or lurk at the margins of pictures, their protective arms stabilizing babies. The heads and shoulders of the adults are sometimes draped in textiles or summarily cut off, or their bodies are partially tucked behind decorative mats that frame the centered child.

The startling realization that Victorian infants were not reclining on cozy blankets but on comfortable laps fuels breathless online attention. Eager resellers of flea-market finds advertise hidden mother photographs using terms like “spooky wonderful,” “cutie creepy” and “bizarre.” Articles about them tend to imply a treasure hunt for hiddenness – for adult knees or noses, poised hands, bosoms, hat brims and skirts.

But this common framing reduces their cultural importance to sensationalism: Look at how kooky our ancestors were!

As someone who has studied the history of these photos, I find myself drawing an unlikely connection between these stiff, sepia portraits and modern candid snapshots of mischievous children delighting their adoring mothers. Both are part of the tradition of sentimental image-making that surrounds the iconic figure of mother and child.

Exposure times in 19th-century photography were very long by current standards – 20 to 60 seconds – which helps explain why trusted adults were needed to soothe infant subjects into the stillness necessary to take a portrait. But this technological limitation doesn’t explain why their mothers were half-erased from these photos, which has led scholars to argue that Victorian women were effaced by their culture, and casual viewers to assume that the photographers who produced these visual gaffes were hilariously bad at their craft.

But my research has shown that Victorian photographers were documenting children at a moment of widespread desire to focus cultural attention – and therefore camera lenses – on childhood as a precious time that ought to be protected. And the partial obfuscation of mothers was not inconsistent with images of beloved children, because to cherish is to hold.

These are, in short, images of care.

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Evolving photographic forms

Photography was a new technology in the 19th century. Early photographers coated thin metal plates with light-sensitive material, exposed them behind the camera’s lens and developed the plates through precise chemical processes. Each exposure yielded a unique and unreproducible picture directly on the metal.

The fragile daguerreotypes of the early 1840s launched a period of constant experimentation. Photographers eventually perfected sturdier tintypes – also unreproducible images on metal plates – and later revolutionized the medium with glass negatives that enabled multiple prints of the same image. These prints required special paper made light sensitive with a coating of ammonium chloride stabilized in albumen, or egg white. With this process, photography became widely viable as a profession, a hobby and an art. In the 1880s, at the height of its production, the Dresden Albumenizing Company required 60,000 eggs a day to meet worldwide demand for its high-quality photographic paper.

Comparing an 1860s tintype with an 1890s gelatin silver studio print shows the evolution of photographic processes.

The studio portrait is characterized by crisp focus, strong contrast between lights and darks, beautiful mid-tones to contour the baby’s cheek, and artful studio lighting to capture alert infant eyes and the gleam of a mother’s cuff button. The tintype is its opposite in every aspect: Its flattened quality and narrower tonal range are hallmarks of this less technically advanced photographic process.

But in both portraits, the sturdy hands of the loving mother stabilize the child.

Picturing tender connections

Scholars don’t know who was first to use the term hidden mother, although some think it emerged around 2008. A photography exhibit at the Venice Biennale by Linda Fregni Nagler and a lyric photo essay by Laura Larson, both published in 2013 and titled “Hidden Mother,” cemented the moniker, which ironically erases the children who are the focal point of these portraits.

One baby picture in particular – a tintype from the 1850s – tells a story about the development of photographic technology and its role in documenting the fleeting, tender moments of childhood.

The baby’s softness is enhanced by comparison with her mother’s strong jawline. The child’s contemplative gaze suggests deep comfort, snuggled as she is against her mother’s side. The contrast between soft and sharp focus is not just one of emotion but the effect of the little one’s slight movement during the necessarily long exposure time.

The baby’s placidity is partly attributable to the presence of a third figure in this photo. This child appears to be a twin: One of her tiny hands is covered protectively by another, equally small, at the end of another arm clad in an identical dress with braided trim. Grounded in their mother’s lap, these babies exist in a triangulated embrace that memorializes the intimacy of family connections.

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Putting the original mat, with its oval cutout, back on the photo makes the baby seem to float, removing the embraces that support her. It also suggests where the moniker for these images, hidden mother, came from. But hands, bodies and the power of touch are central to such images.

Valuing the mother-child bond

Modern viewers often assume that 19th-century customs consigned mothering to the margins. But I argue that this is a projection of ahistorical ideas.

It is a strikingly modern tendency to celebrate women’s ability to have both children and careers, without accounting for how one person will then manage two full-time jobs. Such celebration obscures the labor and time parenting requires in favor of the platitude that if we do what we love, for those we love, it is not work.

Contemporary biases, I suggest, may hide mothers far more than did 19th-century portrait conventions. These images remind thoughtful viewers that babies are held and nursed, soothed and protected, nurtured and guided into independence not by abstract notions of being the right kind of mother, not by oddities, but by embodied human beings.

The historical phenomenon of hidden mothers might be productively renamed “cherished child photographs.” This label more accurately identifies their child subjects and centers the relationship, the cherishing, that is at their heart. It also offers a fruitful avenue for tender contemplation of mothers, children, and the myriad forms of motherwork and bodies who perform them, on Mother’s Day and beyond.

Andrea Kaston Tange, Professor of English, Macalester College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Angels Flight, a beloved landmark in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, has captured the imagination of locals and tourists alike for over a century. This iconic 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway has a rich history and has become an integral part of the city’s heritage.

The railway consists of two funicular cars, Olivet and Sinai, which traverse a distance of 298 feet (91 m) and ascend a vertical gain of 96 feet (29 m). Angels Flight has operated on two different sites, with the original location running from 1901 until 1969, when it made way for redevelopment.

Following a fatal accident, the second location opened in 1996, offering a connection between Hill Street and California Plaza. However, it faced multiple closures and safety concerns, leading to a nine-year hiatus before resuming operations in 2010. After further safety enhancements, Angels Flight reopened in 2017, serving as an economic link and a charming mode of transportation for locals and visitors.

Throughout its history, Angels Flight has held a special place in the hearts of Angelenos. It has been both a tourist attraction and a practical means of transportation for workers commuting between the Downtown Historic Core and Bunker Hill. The quaint railway has witnessed the city’s evolution while retaining its nostalgic charm.

The original Angels Flight, built in 1901 by Colonel J. W. Eddy, operated with a good safety record for 68 years. Although it had its share of accidents, it remained a beloved fixture until its closure in 1969. Numerous companies owned and operated the railway during this period, with the city eventually taking control and initiating its dismantling.

Recognizing its historical significance, the Cultural Heritage Board designated Angels Flight as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1962. This recognition solidified the railway’s place in the city’s collective memory and spurred efforts to preserve its legacy.

Angels Flight holds a unique place in the fabric of Los Angeles, seamlessly blending history, nostalgia, and practicality. Its reopening in recent years has been celebrated as a testament to the city’s commitment to preserving its iconic landmarks. As the cars traverse the short but steep incline, passengers are transported not only in distance but also in time, experiencing a piece of Los Angeles history that continues to captivate and inspire.

If you’re looking for further details about Angel’s Flight, you can visit:https://www.angelsflight.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Flight

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If you have an interest in cities or are just an urbanist, we’ve got you covered. With our Urbanism section, we cover everything from modern and historical stories about the topic. Transportation, infrastructure, architecture, or suburban living, you’ll find it here. Our articles dive deep into the intricacies of urban planning, exploring how cities evolve and adapt to changing demands. Discover the role of green spaces in enhancing urban life and read about innovative solutions to common urban challenges. Whether you’re fascinated by the bustling life of metropolitan areas or the tranquility of well-planned suburbs, our content offers insights and inspiration for everyone curious about urban environments. You’ll learn about cutting-edge developments in sustainable building practices, the latest trends in public policy affecting urban areas, and personal stories from residents who shape the communities they live in. We also discuss the social and economic impacts of urbanization, touching on topics such as gentrification, housing affordability, and the significance of public transportation. With expert analysis and firsthand accounts, our urbanists section is your go-to source for understanding the multifaceted world of urban living.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge/urbanism/

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DARWIN, Australia /PRNewswire/ — The world-renowned Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) returns to Larrakia Country in Darwin, Australia, and is online from August 9 to 11 (2024), celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, design and culture.

Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

The largest event of its kind, DAAF Online is a global mecca for art and culture enthusiasts, gallerists, collectors, and first time buyers, seeking a truly unique shopping experience.

Hosting works from more that 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres, DAAF Online invites guests to immerse in the rich and diverse contemporary creations of the world’s oldest living cultures. Importantly, DAAF Foundation also ensures the ability to ethically acquire exquisite artworks, with 100 percent of sales made going back to artists and their communities. 

For its third year in a hybrid model, DAAF Online offers Art Centres from across the most remote regions of Australia, the opportunity for a global platform. This year features a breadth of coveted works by emerging and established artists from internationally renowned Art Centres.

From the prolific paintings, ḻarrakitj (memorial poles), ṉuwayak (bark paintings), and yiḏaki (didgeridoo) from Northeast Arnhem Land’s Buku Larrŋgay Mulka, through to the vibrant large scale paintings Iwantja Arts, hailing from the rocky, desert Country on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the remote north-west of South Australia.

Exclusively only joining the online platform this year are Hermannsburg Potters, based at the remote foothills of the MacDonnell Ranges in Australia’s Northern Territory. Hermannsburg Potters bring the vibrant landscape and spirit of Central Australia to life with their hand-crafted terracotta and underglaze pots. The three founding artists celebrated their 30-year anniversary in 2023 and continue practicing and passing their technical skills and cultural knowledge onto the next generation.

DAAF Foundation’s executive director, Claire Summers, said “the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair will return this August, allowing visitors to purchase and immerse themselves into the art of over 1,500 Indigenous artists and designers.

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“We feel privileged to provide this global stage. It’s inspiring to witness the market growth and appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and design since the Fair began 18 years ago.

“Art fairs have a critical role to play in helping artists connect to both domestic and international markets. DAAF is unique in that it provides a platform for artists to showcase their work, putting Indigenous agency and their culture at the forefront.

“We look forward to welcoming guests from around the globe to buy directly from our Art Centres through our online component of the Fair,” she said.

DAAF Online can be accessed via the following links:

https://daaf.com.au

https://2024.daaf.com.au

Further Event Information

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18^th Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) | 8-11 August:

Including the Opening Ceremony, Public Program and DAAF Online 

The only national event of its kind, DAAF has secured a reputation as one of the country’s most significant and internationally recognised arts events, creating a unique opportunity to connect with, and ethically purchase art directly from Art Centres, while meeting artists and learning firsthand about their cultural heritage, stories, history and traditional artistic practices through a range of masterclasses, talks and demonstrations.

DAAF is proudly supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, Australian Government Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support, Australian Government Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, Northern Territory Government, Northern Territory Major Events Company, Place for Indigenous Art & Culture, University of Melbourne, and City of Darwin.

Those unable to make the journey to the Top End of Australia and DAAF at the Convention Centre in person are invited to experience DAAF Online 2024. Free to access, the online platform will be open from 10am Friday 9 August, to 9pm Sunday 11 August, 2024 (Australian Central Standard Time).

Information & tickets: www.daaf.com.au

About the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation (DAAF Foundation) 

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The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation is a not-for-profit, Indigenous organization, which is owned and governed by the 80+ Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres and Peak Bodies it represents. DAAF Foundation celebrates the rich cultural and artistic diversity of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres. DAAF Foundation’s vision is to provide vibrant and exciting platforms for First Nations art, design, and culture with a reputation for innovation, diversity and cultural integrity. Its keystone event is the renowned Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. More here:

https://daaf.com.au/foundation

Instagram: @darwinartfair Facebook: @DarwinAboriginalArtFair 

SOURCE Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

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