Family Matters: October 1998

Early Photographs

This month in Family Matters, we'll be looking at the kinds of photographs
we may have. Before the invention of the modern color film, there were several processes for developing and printing pictures. Knowing which kind of picture you have may help you to date your unidentified ancestor and maybe even to identify him with the help of your family tree. Also, some kinds of pictures need to live in special conditions and it's best to identify these as you store your photos. Much of this information comes from Craig Tuttle's book, An Ounce of Prevention, as well as on-line sources linked below.

CALOTYPE OR TALBOTYPE: The first real photograph, this process was used
from 1835 - mid 1850s and invented by William Talbot. Silver iodide was applied to a sheet of paper that was put in the camera. It was developed in gallic acid, making a negative image. A positive print was then made. The images were grainy and dull, especially compared to the daguerreotype process; these qualities make it easy to identify this kind of picture. Also, these images are frequently badly faded, due to incomplete developing methods. Since a calotype is printed on paper, you care for it as you would other photographs.

DAGUERREOTYPE: Used from 1839 - mid-1850s, this process was invented by
Louis Daguerre. It was the first commercially successful photographic process. A positive image was produced on a copper plate that had been coated with silver and exposed to iodine vapors to make it light sensitive. The plate was put into the camera, exposed then heated over mercury. It made a sharp detailed image, but daguerreotypes are very fragile. Usually, they have been put into wooden cases (which are sometimes padded with velvet or silk) to protect them. At the time, these images cost about $5, which was a very steep price. You can identify these prints by the mirror-like quality of the image. Indeed, sometimes the silver plating tarnishes like any other silver. Obviously, any restoration of these should be left to
professionals. I suggest copying these images instead of including them in an album. This is especially true if the image still has its protective case. The wear and tear on both the photo and the album would be extreme, due to the copper plate.

COLLODION / WET PLATE PROCESS: There are actually several separate processes which come under this heading. Collodion was a solution of guncotton fibers, potassium iodide, silver nitrate, alcohol, and ether. The "wet plate" refers to the fact that the exposure and development of the collodion negatives had to be done while the plate was wet. This process made great detail and contrast in the picture.The two types of pictures using this process were ambrotypes and tintypes.

AMBROTYPES: Used from 1854 - the 1870s, the collodion solution was coated on polished glass. When exposed, it made a negative image which was then backed with black paper or cloth to give a positive. At first glance, they are very similar to dauguerreotypes, since ambrotypes were also put into protective cases. However, their surface is not mirror-like, like a daguerreotypes. These pictures are much more fragile than daguerreotypes and took longer to expose. They were, however, cheaper to produce, making their popularity greater. Again, for your albums these need to be copied and then the original can be stored in a photosafe box. If it have its case, you may want to wrap the whole in muslin or acid-free tissue paper. If you do not have the case, store the prints on their edges, like files, with sheets of acid-free paper between them. Do not stack these images.

TINTYPES: Used from 1856 to the 1890s, these images were created by layering the collodion solution onto sheets of lacquered metal. This produced a direct positive image. Frequently, tintypes were used for portrait photography and they were popular due to their durability, price and speed. These images were very inexpensive, from 10 - 25 cents. The cases were replaced with paper folders, and any tinting of the photograph was protected with varnish. Tintypes were extremely popular during the Civil War, when almost every soldier could afford to have his picture in uniform sent home to his family. Tintypes can be distinguished from ambrotypes and daguerreotypes by the dull, greyish image and the metal base. In spite of the name, there is actually no tin in them; the base is thin black iron and a small magnet will be attracted to it. I don't recommend including these
in you albums; the weight of these pictures may encourage you to make copies. You can roughly date your tintypes further by closer examination.

1856-1860 - These earliest images were made on heavy metal. They are stamped ""Neff's Malainotype Pat 19 Feb 56" on one edge.

1861-1865 - Frequently, tintypes from this period have papers adorned with printed stars and emblems; around 1863, this paper becomes embossed rather than printed. Some have cancelled Federal tax stamps on the back, further dating them to between 1 September 1864 and 1 August 1866.

1870-1885 - The Brown Period - In 1870, chocolate brown tinted plates began to appear along with "rustic" photography. Painted background and fake stones appear only after 1870.

1863- 1890 - During this time, very small portraits, called Gems, made their appearance. These photos are 7/8" x 1" and were popular until the invention of roll film made them somewhat obsolete. Sometimes, these were cut to fit lockets, cuff links and other jewelry.

1875- 1930 - Carnival Period - Itinerant photographers traveled with the carnivals, bringing props and backdrops to make novelty portraits.

ALBUMEN PRINTS: This process, which dates from 1847 - mid 1890s, produced
very detailed images. Glass plates negatives were coated with a mixture of
egg whites, sodium chloride and silver nitrate. Long exposures were
required in the earliest years, limiting the process to landscape
photography. The introduction of albumen-sensitized paper in 1850, however,
led to high resolution portraits. The prints were mounted onto cards,
because the think paper was prone to tear or curl. You can include these in
your album, but be aware of the weight when you plan you pages and be sure
to store the album so that the heavy edges of the cards will not press onto
other photos. I think these are certainly the more common types of older
photographs found in boxes and drawers throughout the country. The cards
that the photos are mounted on can help date the photographs by looking for
the following clues. These come from the article "Photography as a Tool for
Genealogy" linked on the side bar.

Card Color:
1866 -1880 - White cardstock of a light weight.
1880 - 1890 - Different colors for the face and back of the mounts.
1882 - 1888 - Face of buff, matte-finished, with a back of creamy
yellow, glossy.

Borders:
1866 - 1880 - Red or gold rules, single and double lines
1884 - 1885 - Wide gold borders
1885 - 1892 - Gold beveled edges
1889 - 1896 - Rounded corner rule of single line
1890 - 1892 - Metallic green or gold impressed border.
1896 - Impressed outer border without color

Corners:
1866 - 1880 - Square, lightweight mount.
1880 - 1890 - Square, heavy board with scalloped sides.

Two Examples

This photo has the solid gold rule around it, with slightly rounded corners, dating it between 1889 - 1896. The back and front are different colors, narrowing it down further so it has to be between 1889-1890. I was able to double check the date with the family tree.

This photo has a plain impressed border without coloring, dating it to after 1896. The size is closest to a cabinet card. That combined with the size helps us to date it to probably between 1896-1900.

The size of these photos can also help you to date them.

Cartes-de-viste - 2 1/4" x 4 1/14" - popular from the mod 1850s to the late 1860s
Cabinet card - 4 1/4" x 6 1/2" - popular from the mid 1860s to 1900.
Victoria card - 3 1/4" x 5" - popular from early 1870s - late 1880s
Promenade card - 4"x7" - popular from the mid 1870s - late 1890s
Imperial card - 7 7/8" 9 7/8" - popular from the late 1870s to 1900
Boudoir card - 5" x 8 1/4" - popular from the late 1870s to 1900

By the late 1880s, most cards were produced on paper that contained a dry emulsion. Albumen plates have yellowish highlights.

DRY GELATIN PROCESS: This process ushers in modern photography. Photographers found this to be a much simpler process for them. It also required only a minimal exposure time. From about 1871 - 1888, the mixture of nitro cellulose, chloride and silver halides suspended in gelatin was used on glass plates. These plates can be identified by blackish highlights in the images. Also, the emulsion is very smooth. From 1888 on, these emulsions were being made on paper and celluloid film. There are 3 basic ways that this process has been used.

CELLULOSE NITRATE FILM: Used from 1888 - 1951, this film was the first to be produced. Unfortunately, it is highly unstable and can even spontaneously combust. If you have this kind of negative, have it copied and contact your local fire department about disposing the original. The film says "Nitrate" along the edge and has an acrid odor.

CELLULOSE ACETATE FILM: Used from 1937 - mid 1960s, this film replaced the nitrate with Diacetate. It has the word "Safe" along this edge. While not as likely to spontaneously combust, these negatives may self-destruct. Chemical reactions cause wrinkles and bubbles to form in the emulsion. Copy immediately if you see signs of damage. Cellulose triacetate film, introduced in the 1940s, and polyester film, from the 1960s, do not have these problems. These films are still used for some applications.

COLOR FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHS: These were unreliable and difficult until 1935 when Eastman Kodak introduced Kodachrome. Kodachrome was a transparency film with several layers of dyes and other chemicals suspended in a gelatin base. In 1942, a color negative and print process was introduced. Although many improvements have been made, these prints are still far from permanent. That's why we spend so much time and effort insuring that our pictures are properly protected in scrapbooks.