Jackson family photograph

I interned at the Jackson Homestead a few semesters ago and my supervisor showed me this photograph while I was there. This is an 1846 daguerreotype by Whipple of Boston of the Jackson Family. I wanted to post this picture because when you look at this photograph, you might think that this family was very melancholic or serious, but in reality, they were laughing so much this day, that the photographer told everyone to look down to avoid making eye contact with one another and bursting out into laughter. I think this really speaks to how pictures may be deceiving if you don't understand the context of the photograph as well as the origins of the photograph and how long people had to sit still in order to get an accurate image.