I found this picture in the Pennsylvania archives, and it filled me with a vague horror when I looked at it. There’s no information about the man in this picture, and it could be taken anywhere between the 1910s – 1940s.

glass plate negative, PA state digital archives

Based on the man’s collar and mustache, my guess is that it was taken in the early 1910s. He had very light eyes, which didn’t photograph so well in the early days of pictures–so much so that professional photographers would at times hand color the eyes of light-eyed subjects to make them look more normal. Also, the blur around the cat’s ear indicates a slower exposure speed. (I think I’ve got that right but let me know if I didn’t!)

I sometimes feel bad for saying someone looks creepy because he might have been a very kind person. I don’t think it’s his eyes that make the picture creepy but the overall feel of the image. Do you agree? Or has my imagination run away with me?