An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Week's Photograph - June 28, 2011
Photo Facts
Photo Type:
Cabinet Card
Size:
4.25" x 6.5"
Card Mount:
Multi-Ply Board
Card Color:
Natural Finish
Borders:
None
Front Imprint:
Medium Size
Back Imprint:
None
Photo Technology:
Albumen (sepia)
About the Case Studies
Every Monday 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.
Past Cases
Front Side
Clues
Explanation
Woman's dress - 1880s
Backdrop & fake rocks
Straw-like floor
Large bows on children
Beveled, gilt card edges
Est. Date: 1887 +/- 1 Year
Numerous clues from this family photograph narrows the date to the later half of the 1880s.
Woman's dress with velvet trim & rounded shoulders is late 80s.
Painted backdrop typical of time
Paper mache rocks very popular in the mid/late 1880s
Straw floor covering of the 80s blended props, floor, backdrop.
Large bows on children started in mid-1880s
Card edges are beveled and gilted - late 80s style.
View the 1880s section in Gallery for similar images. Click Here
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.