Genealogists
often have old family photos in their possession or they find some in
Great Aunt Matilda's attic. But how do we know when the photograph was
taken? One method is to determine what type of photograph it is
Photography arrived in the United States in 1839 thanks to Samuel F. B. Morse, an American artist and inventor. The earliest type is the Daguerreotype. Ambrotypes followed, coming into use circa 1854. 1860 saw the Cartes de Visite becoming popular and the larger Cabinet Cards began to slowly replace the popular CDVs in the mid 1860s.
Cabinet Cards
Cabinet Cards were basically a larger version of the earlier Cartes de Visite. Photographs on paper were pasted onto a large stiff backing measuring 6.5 x 4.25 inches. Photographer logos can be found on the front or verso and were often very elaborate. Around 1880 the cards became more elaborate, sometimes having gold or silver edges. At this time the colour of the cards began to change to darker tones and black, burgundy and deep green became popular.
Examples of Cabinet Cards
1877 Cabinet Card
1882 Cabinet Card
1900 Cabinet Card
1890s Cabinet Card
Learn More
Watch my video on Five Types of Early 19th Century Photographs
Read more about Cabinet Cards on Lost Faces website
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