Nobody smiled in old pictures because the exposure time often meant holding still for extended periods, which could get tiring if you're holding a smile. Once camera technology improved, along came the smiles. I've been told I'm wrong..

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

They often posed with dead family members too. The corpse being motionless was often much sharper in the photos.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

It's the shutterspeed. It could take a very long time to get the photo, and little movement could ruin the photo, so it's easier to have a blank expression than to hold one for a long period of time. They weren't all being grouchy.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

This is the only accurate answer. OP's just out here thinking everyone back then didn't know how to smile for photos until being told to.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Photography was invented in 1864, but cheese wasn't invented until 1886. After they invented cheese, it became customary to smile in photos.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Originally, it took a matter of several seconds to a few minutes for the image exposure to be sufficient for the final image. Holding a smile for long period of time becomes forced and obvious.

by VisibleMud7487 4 weeks ago

No wonder old photos look so serious. Imagine holding a smile for a 10-min exposure and your teeth are practically rotting. Tough times

by Tricky_Net6820 4 weeks ago

Big cheese wins again.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Photographers didn't demand it. Exposure time just became short enough that it was possible to hold a smile long enough to take a picture of it.

by Sdubuque 4 weeks ago

While it is true that long exposure time made it hard to hold a smile for the whole time, it is important to note that smiling while having your picture taken just wasn't part of the culture. In fact there are historians that have pointed out that smiling and showing teeth was not proper in the culture at the time. Cameras were able to take relatively quick pictures by the early 1900s and in most pictures of the time it is still rare to see smiles and even more rare to see smiles that showed teeth. Also, sitting for a picture was considered a more serious affair and expensive. Having a picture of yourself was a sign of wealth so many would hold a more regal, serious look. Once shutter speed increased, you start to slowly see more real, less staged pictures and get a true snapshot of people. This lead to less people taking the whole thing so seriously and being more open to authentic pictures. Plus by this time, smiling and showing teeth became more normal.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

What about that guy with a bowl of rice?

by Dayton08 4 weeks ago

Did you ever see what people's teeth looked like back then?

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Tell me you're 14 without out telling me you're 14. These mofos had wooden dentures. The didn't have any pearly whites to show of in the first place

by ExaminationBig7258 4 weeks ago

And dental hygiene has improved significantly, leading to a more attractive smile with less gaps.

by Lower_Wave 4 weeks ago