• @UsernameIsTooLon@lemmy.world
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      1510 months ago

      Smiling, especially that wide, was not a common thing to do back then. Stern looks were common because people like George Washington had their faces painted and they had to pose for a very long time. It pretty much stuck around until the cameras got faster. I also think it’s another part being foreign to Euro/American influences so there was no “gentlemen” way of posing for reference.