This picture of Robert Cornelius is thought to be one of the first images of a human.
In the description it's said that he's crossing his arms, but to me that doesn't make any sense in proportion.
Anyhow I thought it would be fun if people took a stab at whats under the major scratching and what exactly is happing with his arms. Is that a gloved hand? Also It would be neat to see what this picture would look like unblurred, etc.
Feel free to just have fun too.
It's a tough one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cornelius
high-res: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/RobertCornelius.jpg
Wow. I gotta say, I'm not finding much of anything under the scratches.
I think we need IR or X-rays or something.
yeah hence the subjectivity of this one.
I am pretty sure its a super simple outfit.
even restoring the face might be neat though.
Looks like a hankie to me...
I think he's flipping the bird.
another version http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/3f04912u0.jpg
page not found
Originally posted by: arigato page not found
sorry, looks like the link to the bigger version broke somehow http://img.ffffound.com/static-data/assets/6/e4de8ce5c8081d346824aa45f5145d3e696977df_m.jpg
Originally posted by: Walt [quote]Originally posted by: arigato page not found
sorry, looks like the link to the bigger version broke somehowhttp://img.ffffound.com/static-data/assets/6/e4de8ce5c8081d346824aa45f5145d3e696977df_m.jpg[/quote]
COOL
noice, looks like one of those old metal plate daguerrotypes you see around in antique stores.
fucksake though, I must say this challenge is a bit of a reach... might be good if we all had a boatload of time like it seems we once did
perhaps something like the random album covers exercise or this:
** Booking Bands ** > The idea is to mash up the name of a book with the name of a band. Here's a few of our examples to get you started: The Things They Might Be Giants Carried* The Who Moved My Cheese* The Old Man and The Sea and Cake* Charlie Daniels and the Chocolate Factory* Catch 182* Horton Hears a Hoobastank* Of Mice and Men at Work* Bare Naked Lunch Ladies* The Agony and the XTC*
First attempt.
It's getting to painterly.
shrug.
I was thinking what i thought was a hand of the left arm is actually the forearm of the right arm.
confusing. although this looks anatomically challenged.
nice work persist 
you've got a great eye along with 10x my level of patience
I reckon he's got his arms folded, the right arm over the left, and that mysterious white blob is something he's holding in his left hand, poking up from behind his right arm - a book or some piece of ancient photography apparatus.
That or it's a bloody big scratch 
good work on the face, persist.
I think he's wearing black gloves.
It's possible he's holding a rag. which he may have used to wipe the photo plate.
Step 01
I've started on the face but not much else.
I will admit. I am trolling the web and smithsonian and LOC site for images of similar time period and compositing.
I found agentlemen who's eyes and cheeks were near an exact fit and I overlayed them with a multiply blend, and thats all i did for the face.
His shirt in my restoration is from a picture of edgar allen poe.
I have found the original image simply to damaged to rescue, and restoration hass been more an exercise in artistic reconstruction than technical replication of the original emulsion.
There's a line here (red) that my eye wants to read as his collar but which seems, on closer examination, to be a semi-transparent 'splotch'.
The other possible collar line I see (blue) indicates that he was a very sloppy dresser.
great analysis MC
Then again, the more I look at it, the more I go back the other way.
he could be holding a rag, or it could be a shutter release?
i dont know much about dates or when shit was invented, because i didnt care to google it... this technology isnt that fucking hardcore. so my guess it could be something like that.
shutter release: its like cable with an erection at times, plays the game "just the tip" with the camera.
ok heres the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowden_cable
so if cornelius did a "self portrait" he would be using one of these thingers.
I think at this very early point in photography; this is one of the earliest photographs, ever; the rag may have actually been the shutter.
