Smiling in old photographs was frowned upon as it was associated with low class or foolishness. Research shows that smiling gradually gained popularity over time, with a trend towards happiness. Smiling can improve mood and relieve stress, and is an innate behavior. Children smile about 400 times a day, while adults only manage about 20.
Life was harder for most people 150 years ago, but that wasn’t the only reason why you rarely see anyone smiling in old photographs. Up until relatively recently, smiling at the camera was, well, frowned upon, because it was thought to make you look silly, childish, or even evil.
“In the fine arts, a smile was characteristic only of peasants, drunkards, children and fools, suggesting a low class or some other shortcoming,” says historian Christina Kotchemidova. “Etiquette codes of the past required careful mouth control; even beauty standards demanded a small mouth.”
The statistics don’t lie: According to research from Brown University and the University of California, Berkeley, high school photos from 1905 to 2013 clearly show how the smile gradually gained popularity over time. Their analysis of 37,000 yearbook images reveals a clear trend in the norm for photographs – and probably for American attitudes – from seriousness to happiness, pretended or real. Can you imagine a selfie where someone isn’t smiling?
Why not smile?
Research suggests that smiling, whether you feel like it or not, can improve mood and relieve stress.
Since blind children also smile, scientists believe that smiling is an innate, unlearned behavior.
On average, a child smiles about 400 times a day, while an adult only manages about 20 of these smiles.
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