An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Month's Photograph - March 25, 2014
About the Case Studies
Photo Facts
Photo Type
Mounted Photo
Card Size
6" x 9"
Card Color
Black
Card Edges
Beveled
Front Imprint
Small print
Back Imprint
None
Print Technology
Matte Collodion
Each month a new photo case study typical of old family photographs is published.
These examples can help genealogists learn the skills that will help date their own photos.
An estimated date (if one is not available) is assigned a +/- number of years it could be. Dating old photos is a science that provides answers usually within 2 - 6 years of when the photo was taken.
The beginning of the 20th century saw the continued improvement in photograph quality and the technology behind it.
Camera and film advances produced high resolution pictures with a wide range of shading, bringing the image to life.
This level of photo quality began in the late 1890s as it was the result of an improved process for holding the photographic silver solution. This process (or base) is called matte collodion which was used well into the mid-20th century. This process replaced the albumen (egg-whites) base that produced the sepia affect we are all familiar with.
Any photograph with rich black tones is from the very late 1890s forward.
New Card Materials
About the same time, the mounting cards were improved dramatically.
New manufacturing processes gave us dense, textured, very stiff cards. This card actually has a wood grain-like texture pressed into it.
Estimated Date: c. 1910
(New Card Materials continued.)
This type of card was in wide use from about 1905 to 1920. It is very elegant and durable. The photograph was cut to an oval (with a die) and simply glued to an embossed area on the card.
Sizes
In addition to new photo process and a variety of card materials, photographs after 1900 were no longer constricted to the standard cabinet card size. The cabinet card designation can not be applied to photos like this, as a cabinet card is defined as specific size, about 4.25" x 6.5".
Personal Style
Many well-groomed men of the early 1900s embodied this look. The highly waxed, thin, handlebar mustaches of the 1890s gave way to the fuller mustaches again.
The double breasted suit was popular in this era, though establishing dates from style can be less precise.
Card Mount Characteristics
This card mount is very stiff and durable. Much stronger than the cabinet card mounts of the 1890s. Beautifully textured, this one is black, though they came in other colors, usually very dark.
You can become an expert at analyzing photographs.
Much of the information used to analyze this photograph is covered in the Identification section of this web site. In addition, comparison to similar yet dated photographs in the Gallery section will help confirm the estimates. Even greater detail, organized for this type of research is available in PhotoTree.com's books. Learn More.