Historical Portraits--A Serious Business

I have been working on digitizing and indexing our Historical Portrait Collection. I love looking through these photographs, and seeing the interesting clothing and hair styles of the past centuries. Having a formal photograph taken would have been quite expensive for most families, and so I believe it was a solemn occasion, hence the absence of smiles. Many of the photos leave me with so many questions: Why are they wearing what they are wearing? (For instance the gentleman above in the fur suit???) Are the props in the photographs just random props or are they brought in by the sitter to highlight something about themselves? Why did they dress little boys in what we might consider girls clothes?(yes the photo above is of a little boy, Carl W. Cartland) I will keep you posted as to how this project is progressing.