Young man from Providence, Rhode Island
What it is:
Cabinet card measuring 4.25 x 6.5 inches.
What I know about it:
Photographer is Brown of Providence, R. I. Otherwise undated and unidentified.
Comments:
I have mixed feelings about the bright light on his face. Part of me thinks it gives him a beautiful, ethereal quality, while another part of me thinks it washes him out unnecessarily. I go back and forth on that. But overall I like this image.
Pics of Then 
Interesting chair (if that’s what it is) that he’s resting his hand on; appears to be made of tree branches.
I agree, whatever it is, it’s clearly intended to look very rustic.
Lovely photo. The cut of his jacket is most unusual. The seam across each of the front panels looks to be an attempt to save on fabric? Having done quite a bit of dress-making in my time, I’d also say that the lines in the plaid pattern not matching up precisely could also be a sign of a cheap tailor. Could this have been the only photo this man ever sat for? A special event in the only decent clothes he owned? I don’t think he is a man of great means. Like you , I love spinning a yarn about old photos.
I hadn’t noticed the seams, good catch. I did notice the overall cut of the jacket, and the pattern of the fabric, largely because the detail of this image is so much crisper than the detail of his face. I have no idea what his story is, but the one you pose is certainly plausible. You’re right, it is fun to speculate!
Looking forward to many more pics!
Thanks! I appreciate hearing that you’re enjoying them.