I really am fascinated with old photographs. I love to research as much as I can about the the person in the picture. I often wondered why so many did not smile? I have learned that in the early days dentistry was not a thriving profession by their teens or early 20's many had such bad or missing teeth they did not want to show them. Also any kind of movement during exposure could blur the image. Mystery solved!
George Washington's Teeth
Washington suffered from problems with his teeth throughout his life. He lost his first adult tooth when he was twenty-two and had only one left by the time he became President. John Adams claims he lost them because he used them to crack Brazil nuts but modern historians suggest the mercury oxide, which he was given to treat illnesses such as smallpox and malaria, probably contributed to the loss. He had several sets of false teeth made, four of them by a dentist named John Greenwood. Contrary to popular belief, none of the sets were made from wood. The set made when he became President was carved from hippopotamus and elephant ivory, held together with gold springs. Dental problems left Washington in constant pain, for which he took laudanum
Ancestors from my Family Tree
Ancestors from my Family Tree
Teeth or Not... ?
Melinda Chapman
Mary Craig
Rebecca Minerva Wood
Fergus and Hannah Hewitt
A perfect Smile
2 comments:
What a great assortment of photos here. We can't imagine our world today without photos, a far cry from when our ancestors only had theirs taken on special occasions.
What a fun post. You answered many of my questions. Thanks for sharing :)
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