Came across a photo while poking around ebay:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Antique-CDV-S...16.m2518.l4276

Not dated. I believe this is a death photo from the stand that you can see behind the subject, the way his left hand curls on his waist, and that the fly plaid is draped over the left arm.

Interesting treatment for his hose.

I know on some old photography procedures they would have a stand to help a person remain stationary during the long exposure period. Interesting photo. Thanks!

Zooming in, looks like his eyes are open...

I agree that the photo is most likely taken from life. Being a southpaw myself, I'd like to think that this photo is proof that left handed highlanders dressed according to their dominant side. However, I'd be willing to bet that it's simply a case of the plate being reversed at the time of printing.

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Originally Posted by Piper

I agree that the photo is most likely taken from life. Being a southpaw myself, I'd like to think that this photo is proof that left handed highlanders dressed according to their dominant side. However, I'd be willing to bet that it's simply a case of the plate being reversed at the time of printing.

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The "plate" is not reversed. If worn, plaids are always worn over the left shoulder. Beverley was commenting on how the plaid is over his arm and not the fact the the plaid is on his left hand side.

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Originally Posted by BCAC

The "plate" is not reversed. If worn, plaids are always worn over the left shoulder. Beverley was commenting on how the plaid is over his arm and not the fact the the plaid is on his left hand side.

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I agree. The dirk is on the right (and correct) hip, because a sword if worn would be on his left hip. The sword and the dirk being drawn with the opposite hand.

The stand behind him would have had a waist and/or neck gripper, to hold the body from moving. There might even have been a top-of-head clamp to stop the head moving. That is why hats often look awkwardly placed and not comfortable on the sitters head.

A photographic historian could probably date this picture to a 10 year span.

I'd love to hear OC Richard's take on this. I see some downright weird things going on in that photo. Fringed epaulettes? Cross-belt with no sword? The bowtie and other features suggest this is a purely civilian outfit (not military, nor a piper???), but has strange pieces in it. Is this a play-dress-up photo, or do these things make sense together?

I'm pretty sure the subject is dead. Having 'open' eyes is really not a good way to tell as plates can be doctored. Google Victorian death photos to see. In some you can't tell living from dead! But, that skull-like cast to his face and the unnatural left hand/arm/fly plaid drape certainly suggest a not alive subject.
I found this interesting mostly by the points that are mentioned above. The mix if military and civilian.

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Originally Posted by Dixiecat

I'm pretty sure the subject is dead. Having 'open' eyes is really not a good way to tell as plates can be doctored. Google Victorian death photos to see. In some you can't tell living from dead! But, that skull-like cast to his face and the unnatural left hand/arm/fly plaid drape certainly suggest a not alive subject.
I found this interesting mostly by the points that are mentioned above. The mix if military and civilian.

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Well, yes. He's dead now, but I am damned sure he wasn't when his picture was taken. I've seen dead bodies, but I've yet to see one that would stand and GRIP his dirk with one hand and hold his other on his hip. Gravity causes bodies to slump. He is stood upright, his knees aren't bent, he is gripping his dirk, he has his other hand propped on his hip, his head is up and forward facing, his shoulders are not sagging - he is alive.

If he is dead and I doubt that he is, the small base on that stand is not going to stop 150 lbs of corpse from toppling face first into the floor! More likely it's a stand to keep him stationary during the long exposure required with the old plate photography. His eyes and his face look too alive to be dead and you'd never get a corpse to hold his arm like that or hold a grip like that on a dirk. Zombie?