An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Weeks Photograph - August 29, 2011
Photo Facts
Photo Type:
Cabinet Cabinet
Card Size
4.25" x 6.5"
Card Color
Natural
Card Border
Bottom artwork
Front Imprint
Printed
Back Imprint:
None
Print Technology
Albumen
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.
Horizontal cabinet cards were created for large group shots or even when the image content was wider than tall. This is seen frequently in the mid-1890s when the shoulders of women's dresses were so wide that they did not fit well on a vertical shaped layout.
The dresses of these lovely ladies are indicative of pre-1890 styles, even pre-1889. They look very stylish and probably are wearing the latest styles. In 1889, the shoulders were raised slightly (pinched upward) at the seam were the sleeve met the shoulder portion. There is no evidence of that in any of these dresses.
The dresses are still fairly busy, typical of early and mid-1880s, as the single row of buttons as in the dark dress on the back became very prominent in the late 1880s.
The cabinet card artwork is typical of post-1884 cards. A single line of artwork was used starting in 1885 (lasting until the early 1890s) which underscored the image on a portrait card. In this case the underscore is on the left side. Many different geometric and artistic styles can be found.
The imprint text is reminiscent of mid-1880s as it is relatively simple (though they used three different typefaces.) Beginning in the late 1880s, the imprint text was usually a fancy script and many time embossed or foil stamped. This is plain printed ink.
Commentary
This photograph is very important as it shows seven different dresses that were in style at one time. It works as a Rosetta Stone of sorts in identifying dress and hair styles.
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.