Young Man in Apron and Crown Like Hat, Moody and Poetic Feeling Antique Tintype playful sculpture Old Maid in its current

Old Maid in its current incarnation dates to the early 1880s

with just a little bit of darkening around the edges from age

Closed: 4 7/8 l x 2 7/8" t x 1 3/4" w

The smaller of the two was monogrammed JE

probably of age 10 or 11

Young Man in Apron and Crown Like Hat, Moody and Poetic Feeling Antique Tintype playful sculpture Old Maid in its currentThe seller I bought this tintype from was interested in outlaws, and suggested that the young man here is a young Abe Saunders, known for his associations with Billy the Kid et al. But while I kind of like to imagine that the subtle sneer and hand on hip attitude here foreshadowed life as a full blown gangster, that was not my attraction to or interest in this tintype; rather, just what a beautiful boy and poetic, painterly feeling portrait. Between