An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Weeks Photograph - March 26, 2012
Photo Facts
Photo Type
Cabinet Card
Card Size
4.25" x 6.5"
Card Color
Beige
Card Edges
Straight
Front Imprint
Printed
Back Imprint
None
Print Technology
Albumen
About the Case Studies
Each week a new case study of a picture typical of old family photographs will be published.
These examples can help genealogists learn the skills that will help date their own photos.
An estimated date (if one was not available) will be given with 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.
OK, the woman's dress is not really a clue. This photograph deviates from the usual portrait for date analysis.
However, it is such a wonderful example of the use of photographs during the 19th century it is worth sharing.
Photographs, particularly cabinet cards because of their nice size and durable mounting, were popular for travel and educational pictures.
This particular card was a promotional item for the Newsboy Tobacco company. It was given to a customer by the tobacconist or druggist as a premium when plug tobacco was sold. The cards usually portrayed stage stars and usually women, and early sports celebrities. These were sort of an early version of sports trading cards.
Documented Date: 1896
Card Style
This cabinet card of the Statue of Liberty was produced in the same manner as personal portraits, though many copies would have been made from the same glass negative.
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.