24 November 2010

Interesting face


This is identified as a carte-de-visite from the 1860s.

Her facial appearance is made a bit more bizarre by the contrast created by the ruffed cap.  I wonder what caused the extreme coarsening of her features.  Myxedema?  Acromegaly?  A dermatological disorder?  Any clinicians care to offer thoughts?  At the source it's assumed to be normal old age.

Source: kmodil's Flickr photostream, via Historical Indulgences.

3 comments:

  1. Pietr HitzigNovember 24, 2010 at 2:57 PM

    IMHO, this is nothing but geriatric masculinization. These are not acromegalic facies although the lengthened digits are suggestive.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 24, 2010 at 6:23 PM

    reminds me of this French comic figure: http://www.restaurationspirou.net/Couvertures/CarmenCru8_26082008_211614.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  3. Classof65October 24, 2012 at 4:03 PM

    To me she resembles the actress who played in "Throw Mama from the Train."

    ReplyDelete