Posted 12 years ago
jocelyn.ta…
(19 items)
I am so curious about this pin. It is a vintage photo, not a lithograph or later print copy. The pin " frame" is copper, and you can see the back. I have done image searches, but can find nothing. Based on its construction, ( I have seen similar vintage " theme park" childrens giveaways )I have always thought this might be a childs giveaway from a Old Western Dude Ranch type of thing, Western Show.....however because it is an actual very old photo, I question that theory. That would be ALOT of photos to develop, just for a small childs pin. Any ideas out there as to origin? It just such a neat little pin.
These type of photograph pins were popular in the very late 19th century- early 20th century.
The construction of yours looks to be early 20th century.
The person photographed most likely purchased this item at a studio.
It is possible it was a "dress up image"-- cowboy dress up shots were very popular in the early 20th century. They are often seen in the real photo postcard (RPPC) format.
It is also possible the subject was a real cowboy-- with only a partial image it is hard to be certain.
You don't state the format of the photograph. If it is paper, it could be a cut down RPPC.
scott
I am not at all qualified to say for certain, but in looking at it closely, it is "shiny", that sheen a real vintage photograph has, those tiny "cracks" in the surface.. and it seems very thin in nature- I have seen and held vintage post cards, and the stock is much more sturdy, much "thicker". This is very delicate in nature. You can see the barrel of a gun in lower right, too bad not more is revealed.
Just a gut feeling here, but it 'feels' like the kind of thing a cowboy hearding cattle to KC might have made at the 'end of the trail'. The gun is a nice touch.
I'm not recommending opening it, but I wonder if there is anything written on the back of the photo? That (and determination of the stock on which the photo was made) would be the only way to date it that I can imagine.
Nice item, though....
This looks to be a variant on the photo button, which I wrote about on my blog Photo-Sleuth a couple of years ago:
http://photo-sleuth.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/photo-buttons.html