On Friday I posted an image called "John Brown's sons at home" which, according to WorldCat, was created about 1887.
Given its subjects, two sons of John Brown, at face value I found the image interesting. But when I re-examined the digital image ("original size," available on Flickr) I became even more intrigued: with the digital image (and some basic picture-viewing software) you can see more of the picture than the naked eye. And due to the high-resolution of the original albumen print (an analog of the original scene), when you zoom in on the digital image there is virtually no distortion. As a result, we can look closely at the faces that are so small on the photograph itself.
I was fascinated to discover both of the Brown sons clearly smiling at the camera lens (and likely the photographer too). The small figures of the analog image -- bearded, modestly dressed, somber and wooden amid their domestic duties -- become human.
Medium zoom:
And up close and personal:
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