People Never Smiled In Old Photographs — And Some Of The Reasons Are Seriously Dark

When you stare at really old photographs, you’ll see grim expressions and scowling faces glaring back at you. But why was everyone in such a bad mood? Experts believe they’ve found at least some answers, and a few are more sinister than you think. Like, deadly sinister. Not all old snaps are serious, though — and the rare lighthearted examples are incredible. 

So why the long face? You’re not the only one to ask that question. It’s been on the minds of experts for a long time, and more than a few Google searches are dedicated to the subject. If those sullen stares hid something, they took their secrets to the grave. 

But sometimes things don’t stay buried. Historians have unearthed several clues that could provide an answer. And as you might expect from the peculiar attitudes of centuries past, they’re not all mundane. The topic of old photographs strays from the unusual to the disturbing. So grab your shovel, because we’re going to dig into the past.

You might think that selfies are a modern invention, first off. In today’s society they’re everywhere, after all. Oxford Dictionaries even promoted “selfie” to its word of the year in 2013. Well, while self portraits weren’t as common in older centuries, they did actually exist. 

The first selfie was much older than you think. Meet Robert Cornelius, a chemist who also became a pioneer in photography. He even took the earliest selfie recorded when he used himself as the test subject for his camera. On the picture’s reverse side, Robert scribbled, “The first light Picture ever taken. 1839.”