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- Card Style
- Woman's Dress
- Back imprint
A Trick Case Study
I was thrilled when I saw this photograph and just had to have it. Yes, the image is rather striking and in fair condition. Unfortunately a previous owner chose to use a nail or thumb tack to affix the picture to a wall at some point. It has four puncture wounds.
But why is this a trick case study? Seasoned genealogists know they will run into many contradictions in their research, and this photo is certainly a contradiction. Read on to find the trick.
The CDV Itself
This CDV is a thick card with factory rounded corners. Both of these characteristics came into common practice around 1870. The edges of the card are treated with gilt, a gold coating for beauty. Another style not used until the 1870s.
So analyzing the card technology and the fact it is a paper print (albumen) would put this photograph in the 1870s.
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Est. Card Date: 1875 +- 2 Years
Est. Image date: 1854 +- 3
The Woman's Image
At first viewing, it is obvious to many that the woman is dressed and styled in 1850s manners. The hair with buns at the side are found in the late 1840s, and continued to the late 1850s.
The fingerless glove were popular in the mid-1850s, along with the tasteful collar and the long chain or necklace from the same timeframe.
A very classic pose and stylish lady from the 1850s. How can this be?
Copying Photographs
This photograph is most likely a copy of a mid-1850s daguerreotype. While it is a copy, it benefits from the high quality of the probable daguerreotype. You can tell it is not perfect or an original because of lack of extremely crisp detail.
However, copying old photographs was very common, with many photographer advertisements extolling the virtue of having your old photos copied.
Click here for daguerreotypes that show similar styles. |
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Back Imprint
The back imprint shows the trend towards covering the back with advertising. This began in the 1870s and continued to the end of the century. As a bonus, this picture provides fascinating clue under the main graphic: "Use the Elevator".
The first commercial passenger elevator was not installed until 1870 in New York. (www.wikipedia.com/wiki/elevator). So the elevator in this building would have been after this time.
The Answer to the Trick Question
You now know that this 1870s carte de visite is actually a copy of a 1850s daguerreotype. (It is possible the original could be a ambrotype, though the image quality and dress put it earlier in the 1850s, therefore being a daguerreotype.)
So, if your type of photograph does not seem to match the content, consider it may be a copy of an earlier picture. This is why there is no one single clue that can date old photographs, sometimes it takes looking at many different characteristics.
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