An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Weeks Photograph - July 30, 2012
Photo Facts
Photo Type:
Cabinet Card
Card Size
4.25" x 6.5"
Card Color
Lt Green/Gray
Card Edges
Beveled
Front Imprint:
Embossed
Back Imprint:
Plain
Print Technology
Collodion
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.
Even though this great cabinet card has a documented date of 1896, it would have been easy to come with that as a probable date, plus or minus a couple years.
The stylish dresses of the mother and daughter display the height of the bulbous shoulders. They began getting large in about 1894, and quickly became more subdued after 1896.
In the latter half of the 1890s, new mounting card styles were available. The actual card material was much denser and harder than the material that had been used since the 1870s. Being more durable, many of the corners were now very sharp, not as prone to becoming dog eared. Also, very intricate patterns could be pressed into the cards.
Soon, this type of technical transformation would replace all the older card material by the turn of the century.
Confirmed Date: 1896
Both the clues for this card are of such important prominence and importance, there are sections in the Gallery dedicated to these clues. See them at:
Click here for other similar modern cards from the 1890s.
Click here for other similar dresses from 1890 cabinet cards.
The intricate patterns are easily seen in this durable card. These are most frequently found in late 1890 and early 1900 cabinet cards.
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.