Unlabeled Photos?
Isn’t that the worst? Imagine you have a collection of vintage photos in your possessions that you want to assign to your tree. But when you go to work, it seems to be a dead end…the photos have not been labeled. You have no names, no dates and so now no idea where to put them. Where does that leave you? What can you do? How can you help narrow down who the photo belongs to?
If you are familiar with the type of print , it can help narrow down the range of years. Through that work you may narrow down which ancestors fit that profile! Can you estimate the age of the person in the photo? Start your photo ID process with the type of photo , then you may be able to determine the “when”.
Advent of Photography
The earliest known surviving fixed photographs were taken around 1826 and they were a very grueling and time consuming process. It would take hours of exposure, and the results were very crude. “ Louis Daguerre went on to develop the daguerreotype process, the first publicly announced and commercially viable photographic process. The daguerreotype required only minutes of exposure in the camera, and produced clear, finely detailed results. The details were introduced to the world in 1839, a date generally accepted as the birth year of practical photography… Subsequent innovations made photography easier and more versatile. New materials reduced the required camera exposure time from minutes to seconds, and eventually to a small fraction of a second; new photographic media were more economical, sensitive or convenient…” (Wikipedia)
Photography has evolved over the past 200 years and because of this we are more able to determine a when. Improvement left a distinct fingerprint. Because of the innovations throughout the years it’s easier to narrow down the type of photograph and dates in popularity.
The Daguerreotype: 1840-1860’s
The Daguerreotype was the first commercially viable photographic process. These photographs were smaller in size, averaging about 3″. Copper sheets were coated in silver plating and exposed to chemicals creating a fixed image. These photographs are backed by a shiny silver, which gives it almost a mirror like reflective quality. The images almost seem to hover. When you tilt the image the dark areas will appear silver.
Millions of Daguerreotype images were produced, but only a small fraction remain. They were extremely fragile due to the chemical makeup , and could be destroyed by direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.
Ambrotype: 1855-1860
Similar to the Daguerreotype, the Ambrotype were housed in hinged cases. They image was produced on glass that had a black painted backing. The image produced was much more drab in comparison, but people liked it because it was easier to view. The image does not have the same mirror like reflective qualities as the Daguerreotype, however they are still as fragile. They should not be exposed to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
The Ambrotype soon gave way to an even cheaper and faster photo process called Tin Type.
Tin Types: 1856-1890’s
Images were created on a black- backed iron plate. If they are kept under glass they may be difficult to distinguish from an Ambrotype. More sepia and drab coloring then daguerreotype, but cheaper materials and faster developing than Ambrotype. Quick exposure and development time meant that Tin types were extremely popular! Photographers could be found in many places, like booths at carnivals, fairs, tourist attractions and on sidewalks. Many tin types came with a paper envelope for storage. Because of the popularity and length of time used, you may need to narrow down dates through fashion.
Cartes Des Visites 1860-1870’s
Calling cards were very popular in the 1850s, and in the 1860s they took it a step further with CDV. These photo cards were about 2 1/2 x 4 and they were printed then mounted on a thick paper. During the U.S. Civil War , CDV made a surge in popularity. Many soldiers and families would exchange these photos. In the 1860s the CDV had square corners, and around 1870s the corners were rounded. The thinner the mounting paper the older the photograph.
Cabinet Cards 1860-1900s
Cabinet Cards were similar to the Cartes Des Visites. However, they were larger in size and printed on thinner paper then mounted on thick paper. The mounting often had a photographer mark or logo on the back. The color and style of the mount can also help determine the dates.
Earlier Cabinet Cards had no borders. Beveled edges usually in silver or gold came later in the 1880s. Scalloped borders and single lined borders were popular mid 1880s to 1900.
Darker mounting paper typically meant 1880s through 1890s.
Photographer marks, logos and artwork can also help pinpoint. The more elaborate the artwork, the later the card.
Because these were used for so long you may need to narrow down by fashion and stylings.
Kodak Brownie and More: 1900+
The start of the amateur photographer started in 1900 with the introduction of the Kodak Brownie Camera. By offering them for 1$ Kodak ushered in a whole new era! In the first year over 100,000 were sold. In 5 years they had sold 10 million, putting the snapshot into the hands of the masses.
People could take their own photos how and when and where they wanted. No darkroom or equipment needed, they would just ship their film canister off to Kodak for processing. It allowed for millions of people to start documenting their lives on a regular basis. Thankfully, these modern photographs are a little easier to determine. Certain papers, finishes and colors were used. Many development centers would stamp a little year in the corner of the picture, or on the back(for a fee). Cameras then came out with a time and date stamp that you could have printed directly into the picture. Now digital pictures have a time and date stamp embedded directly into the file itself.
Happy Hunting!
Sometimes family history research takes a lot of digging and detective work, piecing together the clues. Sometimes context clues and little hints are all we have, so have those tools to help!
