Did people suffer from acne less frequently? I never notice it in daguerreotypes, for example, which are pretty clear and sharp. I also never see it depicted in paintings, although I figure that's because most flaws like that weren't included. Can someone explain this to me?
Acne has been a problem throughout history; recipes for dealing with are constantly found in body-care books. I tend to point to The Toilet of Flora from the 18th century most often, since it's free online. You might be able to occasionally find an image of someone with severe acne. However, just like todays professional photographs are less likely to show imperfections (photoshop), photographers in the 19th century had simple ways of altering images as well. Scratching the plate before processing can create highlights or remove blemishes, for example. So, it may be that there was overall less of a problem with acne (they did wear less makeup, etc), or it could just be the images themselves are deceiving!