The ongoing unpack – clean – reorganize project has unearthed many things, good and bad but here’s one item I just ran across at the bottom of a box.
No date on it or any information other than what you see here. I even forget where or when I acquired it, but now it’s perched on my desk: role model? cheer leader? fantasy fodder? I can’t quite decide yet.
I love that pic. I could use it as the basis for a drawing (chalk on black paper).
WOW! That’s pretty incredible.
Fantasy Fodder! WOOOOOOO!
Our Friend, the Internet
The man in the photograph will have to remain a mystery, but we can find out more about the photographer:
A fascinating contemporary account of the state of the art of photography in NYC in 1887 (Mora is mentioned in the penultimate paragraph):
http://www.daguerre.org/resource/dagnews/1999/11-06-99.html
As much as we’ll probably ever know about the photographer, and a collection of opera stars he photographed:
http://www.historicopera.com/thumb_mora_left.htm
A collection of 53 images by Mora:
http://www.picturehistory.com/search?word1=mora&submit.x=7&submit.y=7
especially these four:
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/19540/mcms.html
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/13387/mcms.html
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/13388/mcms.html (a professional wrestler in 1870!)
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/20899/mcms.html
Stunning. Thanks for sharing this. Inspiration for us all.
At first, I thought it was you, going to one of those old-timey “Old West” photo places. Whoever it is, he’s hot.
I dunno, John Muir’s cuter younger brother? I’m at a loss here, people.
i love how the rakish angle of the sitter’s hat gives him a blackened halo. the hankie/mantle is also a lovely touch.
a fine specimen… and an artistic cock of his hat, perhaps an 1800’s equivalent of turning your ballcap around?
¡muchísimas gracias, está maravilloso!
Mora! Mora! Mora!
Hmmmm, lifelong bachelor, interests in theater, opera, wrestlers, beards, photography, the arts. Extreme packrat. Eats a lot of pies and cakes. Nope, doesn’t suggest anybody to me…
The California Historical Society lists the following in its photography collections:
(Regrettably, the CHS doesn’t seem to have any images online. Also, I’m wondering if Nayland’s card might be a Mora self portrait.)
Fun facts:
Mora lived as a recluse at the Breslin Hotel at Broadway and 29th.
Also (if I’m Babelfishing this German correctly) there was a type of frameless picture holder named after him. (a “Morastaender”)
Even Mora…
(For the link-phobic, here’s the bio from Thor’s link to historicopera.com)
Despite his seemingly brusque exterior, I love how he has rather soft, vulnerable eyes.
Mora’s Madagascar Magician
(They don’t make mustache wax like they used to…)
Details here.
But what color is that bandana?
Given how far the brim of his hat is pushed back, I’d reckon light blue, for cocksucker.
And you may find this amusing:
http://www.jesus21.com/content/sex/index.php?s=hankies
On first looking at it, I thought it might be your grandfather, Nay…
Wonder how they said WOOF back then..
But what about Periwinkle?
Re: Our Friend, the Internet
Interestingly Antiques Roadshow featured an album of cartes de visite, or rather, calling card pictures. The album contained over a hundred Civil War – Reconstruction era cartes and was valued at roughly $8,000. The most valuable were pictures of Sojourner Truth and a black post-Reconstruction congressman whose name I forget.
Do it! Time to draw!
Re: Our Friend, the Internet
Thor, you never cease to amaze me.
Hmm – I would bet more of a way to keep the shadow from falling across his face, given the lack of elecctical lighting. Still, it is a great angle.
Nice user pic, BTW!
De nada, which is just about all the spanish I know.
It’s true he is baby-faced in a delectable way.
Hmmm, unfortunately neither of my grandafthers looked anything like this. Clean shaven types they were.
Probably something like YEEHAW!
If I knew I was going to look that good, I’d be at an old west photoplace in a second!
Neither did my grandfathers, but my Great Grandfather was quite something else. I just arrived in Toronto and I have a portrait here, I will try to photograph it and post it…
… or “noteworthy”.
As would say, «Oh my God, let’s go right now!»
Do it! Time to draw!
Re: Our Friend, the Internet
Thor, you never cease to amaze me.
Hmm – I would bet more of a way to keep the shadow from falling across his face, given the lack of elecctical lighting. Still, it is a great angle.
Nice user pic, BTW!
De nada, which is just about all the spanish I know.
It’s true he is baby-faced in a delectable way.
Hmmm, unfortunately neither of my grandafthers looked anything like this. Clean shaven types they were.
Probably something like YEEHAW!
If I knew I was going to look that good, I’d be at an old west photoplace in a second!
Lordy, how did I miss this? I need to keep up with my LJ reading.
He’s stunning. Boyish, but not a boy. He’s got to be in his 20’s. Why can’t big beards make a comeback as a fad? Just for a decade or two…
And isn’t it funny, in this modern age of online classifieds and webcam crotch shots, to find someone intensely attractive based entirely on a face shot?