If you're not interested in vintage TV cabinets, how about a Tom Thumb photo?

[dianecaudle]

I know I'm really pushing it by posting here twice in one evening but after I'd left that last question here I remembered the photograph of Tom Thumb that I'd acquired about ten years ago from my brother's estate.  It seemed that he knew quite a bit about old photography and I'd sold several of the daguerreotypes <sp> on Ebay and they were worth quite a bit, mainly photos from the 1800s. 

Well this is one of the photographs that was in his safe.  I took it to a professional photographer in Charlotte and he said that it was an original photograph but knew very little about the subject. 

It is thick like cardboard and almost seems to have more than one layer.  You can see from the photo I took that it does have some layering.  The photo is the way I acquired it, somewhat faded.  I keep it in a envelope in a file in my computer room and I know it should probably be kept in an archival flat box of some type.  I didn't want to take a chance on the light from the printer being hard on the photo or the flash from my camera disturbing it so I just used the light from the room and no flash from my camera.

I don't know if anyone here is an authority on the subject but was hoping that maybe someone could send me to a reputable photography website.  There are lots of forums on the internet but many of them seem to die a quiet death from lack of traffic.

It would be great if this photograph was worth some money especially since finances are becoming somewhat difficult here.

Thanks again,

Diane

[ironlord1963]

Really Cool Photo, I'm Sure that is a very old one for sure.  Keep in mind with photo's the original is a negative, and Photo are just copies.  Not that photo don't get valueable, just you have to look carefully for the clues for it age.  I would say just at a quick glance it appears to be mid early 1900's in age.  But as for Original That is the negative.

[sapphire]

Don't know if this pertains to your picture or not diane. Just found it while hunting around.

http://www.geniimagazine.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/188944/Matthew_Brady_Tom_Thumb_Photos

[sapphire]

I would say your picture would have been prior to his wedding to Lavinia Bump in 1863 (judging by his appearance) and the picture in the link below is attributed to 1850-55

Wedding 1863


http://www.shorpy.com/node/3327?size=_original

As to value, I'd have no idea other than to search ones that have sold, sorry.

[dianecaudle]

Thanks Ironlord, it might not be worth anything, it'll probably  just go back into my files but I thought I'd put it out there on this forum and see what comments I'd get on it

Diane


"....and now back to our previously recorded program...The Value of Vintage TV Cabinets..."

[ironlord1963]

By no means count this picture out just yet, The only point I had about photos is that the neg is the orignal, Prints could of been made anytime and you will need to look closely at the material it is printed on.  I can not tell much from your photo of the photo, and by no means am I the expert on on photos, Just a photograher at heart.   The value mostly will be subject, and your has lots of Subject, and would easy go for $$.00, if you can prove it to be made in real early or prior then you will be dipping into the Low $$$.00 range.   

[sapphire]

Kind of interesting......ha ve seen this same shot several times, here is one on ebay.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-War-Photo-Photograph-Tom-Thumb-Wife-Child-/180416447883?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a01a8858b#ht_548wt_913

This information was found here.....

http://www.stevenbolin.com/freaks/tomthumb.html

"The baby seen in this photograph by Eisenmann was not the child of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb, they were unable to have children. The child was an orphan acquired by Barnum, billed as Tom and Lavinia's child. But the child quickly outgrew the parents. So in each town in which they appeared, Barnum would rent a local child to pose as the baby of the couple."

So it would appear that those with typed print (often bordered) are likely promotion pieces.....where as if yours is an actual Brady (if I'm not on the wrong track) he tended more towards 'public' figures and topics of interest.  

Someone here may actually know who you should best contact to get a 'real' answer.  We just have to wait for them to chime in.

[sapphire]

Here's what I meant........some info on Brady.

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/About%20Mathew%20Brady.htm

Edited to ad:

A link to Civil War era pictures by Brady at the Smithsonian .... of Tom Thumb and his wife Lavinia
(use the right arrow > to see three more pics, plus one of Commodore Nutt and Lavinia's sister, both of whom
stood with them at their wedding)

http://www.civilwar.si.edu/brady_fairywedding.html

Diane, after running across all this 'stuff' I would certainly recommend you do get it checked out.  You never know!! 

[sapphire]

Another interesting hit.......

http://www.iphotocentral.com/search/detail.php/32/%22tom+thumb%22/0/9804/3

Check the price !

[dianecaudle]

Thanks sapphire, et al, for your help and suggestions.  Personally, I think that the girl in the photograph looks like his wife berfore they were married, but I suppose I could be wrong....perhaps in the wedding photograph she was wearing heels.  No, I just checked the picture again, there is about a six inch difference between the two of them in my picture.

[KC]

I agree...would get it checked out!

You could have some value there!