From: Richard Knoppow (dickburk@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 01/08/03-11:06:15 AM Z
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Weese" <cweese@earthlink.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: Disfarmer, Re: outsider art
> Richard,
>
> Disfarmer's own name of course would't be in any birth
records since it's a
> made-up moniker sigifiying his dislike of farm life. I
don't recall whether
> his "real" name was stated in the original story that
accompanied the
> release of the pictures in the '70's. The portrait
subjects wouldn't
> necessarily be identified by name--these were inexpensive
commercial
> portraits delivered for cash. There might be careful
records for re-orders,
> but whether those records survive is a question. Best bet
would probably be
> to see if any "vintage prints" can be found in the
possession of families
> who've resided in Heber Springs since the 1940's. They
were made for that
> purpose so prints should be out there in albums and boxes
and trunks. I'd
> expect that to work because, as mentioned, I think the
work is genuine.
> Sounds like a perfect dissertation project.
>
> Of course glass plates haven't become completely obsolete
even today, but it
> doesn't seem likely they'd be used by a small portrait
studio eaking out a
> living in a rural community. Technical concerns like
dimensional precision
> certainly weren't an issue in producing these
pictures.---Carl
>
> --
> web site with picture galleries
> and workshop information at:
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~cweese/
I am just learning about this. If genuine the pictures
are astonishing.
I think glass plates were in wider use at the time than
you think. This is one of those areas where the old photo
history list would be useful.
--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com
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