Barnard Family

From Gemini: It might seem like our ancestors were a grumpy bunch, but the lack of smiles in old photos like the one of Warren Barnard and Nancy F. Cook, grandparents of Grandma Pearl Strong Fero, was due to a mix of technology, etiquette, and tradition.

In the early days of photography, cameras were much slower than they are today. To take a single photo, the shutter had to stay open for several minutes. Subjects had to remain perfectly still to avoid blurring the image.

Before cameras, the only way to have a likeness made was through a painted portrait, which was a very serious and expensive undertaking. Wide grins were often associated with madness, drunkenness or lower social status. As Mark Twain famously said, "There is nothing more damning to go down to posterity than a silly, foolish smile."