Uncle Billy
By: usermattw
Tags: CDV, mustache, photography, Quincy, vintage photography
Category: Men, Sullivan/Hall
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What it is:
Carte de visite (CDV) measuring just under 2.5 x 4.25 inches.
What I know about it:
Written on the back is Uncle Billy Hall. (The handwriting is a little hard to read, so I’m not a hundred percent sure about the word “Uncle”, but I’m pretty sure.) Photographer is Mrs. W. A. Reed of Quincy, Illinois.
Comments:
Walking home, I saw a young man with a rather splendid mustache. I think he was going for an overall hipster look that he didn’t quite manage to achieve, but there was no denying the ‘stache. So it put me in the mind to post a young man with a mustache. This is the first one that appeared as I was going through a box, so here you go. He is, I believe, part of the Sullivan/Hall clan, other photos of which can be found here. Also, I was delighted to see that the photographer was a woman, which was unusual for the time. Apparently she was thrown into the photography business when she inherited a studio from her late husband in 1858, which is quite early for a photography studio in the first place. Her own name was Candace McCormick Reed, and biographical information can be found here, along with multiple pages showing samples of her work.
Pics of Then 
Great historical info on the photographer. She was also well known for her painting of photographs, something my great grandfather did as a hobby. I am lucky to have about five of his painted pictures.
It’s always handy when somebody else has done the research and I can just link to it. 🙂 Painted photos can be gorgeous when skillfully done. I have so little in the way of tinted or painted pictures in my collection, which I might have to do something about someday. How great that you have some by your great grandfather!