This is captioned John F. Ross (Sr.) age 3 from a tintype. John was born in 1859, so this portrait dates to around 1862. According to wikipedia, tintypes are actually made of iron, no tin was used. The technique apparently dates to the early 1850s and photographers traveled with fairs or carnivals, perhaps this one was taken at a fair near Piatt County, Illinois where he was raised. Before I scanned the photo I didn't notice that the object on the left was someone's hand. Is it just me or does that hand look just a little bit creepy?
John F. Ross was the father of Clara (Ross) Fowlie. The connection to the Brassfield surname is that Clara's daughter married a Brassfield.
John F. Ross Sr. is my 2nd great grandfather.
