PHOTOGRAPHS IN FAMILY HISTORY
General - Where to find photographs
1. Relatives
- Borrow and copy.
2. Archives
- Private
- Commercial
- Libraries
- Art Galleries
- Museums
- Newspapers
- Regiments
- Others?
3. Social events
- Church/Chapel outings.
- Club records.
Dating
Photographs can be dated, even studio photographs, by their type and by the total contents of the picture. Note should be taken of the clothes, the topographical scenery and foreground items. Additionally it might be posible to date the photographer and studio.
Types of photographs
Daguerotypes 1839-1857
- Small with a mirror look.
Abrotype 1852-1863
- About 2.75" by 3.25" usually and could be hand tinted for colour.
Calotypes 1841-1938
- Popular system used in fairgrounds, cased and with a grey colour.
Cartes-de-visite 1859-1914
- The cheapest and most popular method so far. Card backings with name of photographer and town, about 2.5" by 4".
Cabinet Cards 1866-1914
- Larger than Cartes-de-Visite about 4.25" by 6.5".
Glass Negatives 1878
- Used by amateur photographers, fragile and should be reproduced as soon as possible.
Flexible film
- 1889 Nitro-cellulose base which decays.
- 1900 Kodak and box brownies introduced for better off.
- 1930's Modern film invented.
- 1940's Colour - (re-photogaph in black and white).
FAMILY HISTORY IN FOCUS, ed. by Don Steel and Lawrence Taylor, Lutterworth Press, 1984. (In lending Library)
PHOTOGRAPHS AND LOCAL HISTORY, George Oliver, Batsford, 1989.
DATING OLD PHOTOGRAPHS, Robert Pols, Federation of Family History Societies.
This page is compiled by Timothy J. Owston of York, England.
Please contact me with any comments or information.
You can Email me at:
owston.tj@virgin.net
My home page is at:Home Page