Why Don't People Smile in Old Photographs?

Black and white photographs from the 1800s are very different than the photos that you might post on Facebook today. It appears that very few people were saying "cheese" back then. Why weren't people smiling? We have a few theories about all of those serious faces you see in old photos.

First, the people in the photos had to sit very still, because the exposure time for larger photographic plates was up to 15 minutes, sometimes longer. Several years later, there were advancements in camera lenses and exposure chemicals, and this shortened the exposure time to a minute or less. Still, a minute is a long time to hold an expression. It's much easier to hold a serious expression than a smile. This probably accounts for many of the serious faces that we see in old photographs.

It was also a special, expensive occasion to be photographed. You couldn't just whip out your handy digital camera or your cell phone camera. When photography was introduced in 1839, it required relatively expensive equipment and extensive training to be a photographer. For most people, having photographs taken was a rare luxury. They might only have their pictures taken a few times in their lives. People may have believed that serious expressions suited these special occasions. In the late 1800s and early 1900s when cameras became lighter, more portable and much easier to use, there were many more amateur photographers. Taking casual snapshots became possible and consequently, we see many more smiling faces.

Our last theory relates to dental care. It's very possible that many people weren't comfortable smiling, because they didn't like their teeth. Back then it was very common for a person to be missing many teeth, since the cure for a decayed or broken tooth was often simply to pull it. There were no cosmetic dentists in Arlington, and there was no Washington DC teeth whitening services to help improve the mechanics and aesthetics of your smile. Therefore, people with missing, chipped, or very discolored teeth might have preferred to take pictures with their mouths closed.

If you prefer to keep your mouth closed in photographs, come talk to our SmileDesigner team about our cosmetic dentistry options. We'd love to give you a reason to smile in your next photo!

Cosmetic Dentist Arlington, Cosmetic Dentistry Arlington, Washington DC teeth whitening