You have to remember that in the pioneering days of photography, the film used was only sensitive to blue light. Orthochromatic film came about in the late 19th century and panchromatic film didn't come about until the early 20th century.
The film being only sensitive to blue light meant that blue items looked light colored and red items looked almost black.
Take this into account when making assumptions about colors based on shades of grey.
Staging photos was a practical necessity in the days of wet plate photography when a photographer needed a horse drawn wagon to haul the equipment needed to take a photo.
Last edited by B.L.E.; February 18, 2013 at 07:39 AM.