It is true that in this time people set their faces hard for photographs, partly from custom, partly because of deficits in photographic technology, but this crowd might not have smiled for the better part of a century. The women seem suspended in a state somewhere between melancholy and fury and are surrounded by old men in strange beards that look as if someone had dabbed glue at random points on their faces, then hurled buckets of white hair in their direction.
In the era described, individuals adopted a serious demeanor for photographs due to established norms and limitations of photography technology. The significance of this practice suggests a deeper emotional state among the subjects, particularly women, who appear to embody a mix of sadness and anger. Their expressions reflect a mood that seems to have existed for generations, perhaps indicating social pressures or personal struggles.
The presence of elderly men with unusual beards adds to the peculiar atmosphere of the crowd. Their disheveled appearance, with white hair scattered as if randomly applied, emphasizes a disconnect from modernity. This vivid imagery conveys a sense of time standing still, encapsulating the collective emotions and societal conditions of the period, interrupting the usual joy one might expect in photographs.
