Do you know the origins of our Thomas Bailey Christian portrait?

I have tried to track down who first uploaded this image to Ancestry.com with no luck. I believe it was first uploaded to Ancestry and that is how it was first passed around. I contacted ptholden0606 at Ancestry (the person I thought originally uploaded the image on 07 Sep 2010) but he thought he got it from another member that did not join until 2011. Do you know of an earlier upload of this image to Ancestry or anywhere else? It seems to be impossible to search for "date uploaded" on Ancestry.  If you have ANY information about this photograph please let me know!

• Who made this scan?
• Who owns the original?
• Is there any information about the photographer in the case?
• Do you recognize the case - that would help identify the photographer?
• How does the original scanner know this is our TBC?
• If you know ANYTHING, no matter how small please let us know!

We also have a photograph of Mastin Christian, died 28 FEB 1853 in Sinking Waters,Tazewell, Virginia, USA, he is TBC's first born child.   We also need any information you have on this photograph or who scanned it for the Internet. Mastin and his father died the same year, 1853. Yes, that was early for photography and the way they look, these photos must have been taken very close to the last days of their lives. And I am guessing about the same time. Notice how Mastin and his father seem to be wearing the same kind of dress shirt and the same kind of tie.

Mastin Christian

David Christian - who passed in 1861. Do you know anything about this picture? It also appears to be a daguerreotype like the others. That does lend credibility because that would be the correct format for that era of photography. It also appears that if one member of the family could afford a portrait and had access to a photographer then others would as well.

David Christian

I have also made an image comparing the photo cases of images we have from that era. They are all different. I would assume if it were the same photographer the cases would be the same. I'm going to see if I can find out more about what variety of cases a photographer would have offered at that time.