An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Week's Photograph - September 10, 2012
Photo Facts
Photo Type:
Carte de visite
Card Size
2.5" x 4"
Card Color
Natural
Card Border
1 Thin, 1 thick line
Front Imprint
None
Back Imprint
Horizontal
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.
What struck me about this image is the pose the photographer crafted with the young girl, and she pulled it off beautifully.
A strong guess is that she (or her mother) were very proud of her 'bottle curls', and they were freshly set.
The bottle curl or sausage curl saw a comeback in the very late 1860s. Most often on girls and young women. It appears they were considered quite risque young women, and certainly married ladies did not wear them.
The CDV Card
The card is typical of a card style introduced in 1864. You find them throughout the Civil War era. Newer, thicker cards with rounded corners were introduced about 1870. I believe this was just prior to the new cards..
Est. Date: 1870 +- 1 Year
Backprint
The backprint with the horizontal layout is typical of the 1870s.
Photographers could print their name or information in a larger, more noticeable type than printing them in a portrait mode.
The intersection of the three clues put this almost exactly at 1870. It is before the newer cards of the 1870s, yet it exhibits the backprint trend of the 1870s.
The little girl's curls reinforce the time period also.
Unfortunately no name or other documentation came with the image.
Close up
This carte de visite is in very fine shape. However, it shows the lack of detail and resolution of the technology of the time. Still a fine piece of 19th century artwork
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.