Figure 1.-- These are two of the earliest Carte de Viste (CDV) portraits archived on HBC. Both are dated June 1862. This would suggest thsat they could have been taken to send to a father serving in the Federal army during the Civil War. They are an extrodinary matched set of hand tinted CDVs picturing two brothers or twins, each with a hoop. The boys wear almost idebtical white dresses. We have found quite a number of tinted dags, but tinting CDVs was less common. Put your cursor on the image to see the older boy.

These are two of the earliest Carte de Viste (CDV) portraits archived on HBC. Both are dated June 1862. This would suggest that they could have been taken to send to a father serving in the Federal army during the Civil War. They are an extrodinary matched set of hand tinted CDVs picturing two brothers or twins, each with a hoop. The boys wear almost identical white dresses. We have found quite a number of tinted dags, but tinting CDVs was less common. Unfortunately we do not know the boys' names. The portrait was taken at the house/studio of O. H. Willard in Philadelphia. It is an example of a daguerreotyper who had shifted to CDVs. While we know nothing about the boys, quite a bit of information is available on Willard.

The Boys

The boys in the CDVs are almost certainly brothers or twins. Each is pictured with with a hoop, a popular play itemn at the time. Unfortunately we do not know the boys' names. The boys look quite young. We would guess about 1 and 3 years old. Surely the portraits were taken at the same time. Curious that they were not photographed together. Both portraits are dated June 1862, but the numbers on the back (9887 and 9975) are very different.

Photographer

The portrait was taken at the house/studio of O. H. Willard in Philadelphia. It is an example of a daguerreotyper who had shifted to CDVs. While we know nothing about the boys, quite a bit of information is available on Willard. Willard is listed as a daguerreotyper in Philadelphia (1854-60). Daguerreotypes by that time were going out of style. We wonder id that is a generic term also use for photographers producing ambrotypes. He was listed at 120 West Market Street (1854-57). Another directory listed him in Oxford Borough, Pennsylvania (1854). He was listed alternately at 1628 and 1630 Market Street (1858-60). Another source noted him in Cape May, N.J., seasonally, and in Philadelphia (1868-78). He was a member of the eclipse expedition (1869).

CDVs

These are two of the earliest Carte de Viste (CDV) portraits archived on HBC. Both are dated June 1862. CDVs appear to have began to be made in England during 1860. One sources suggests they appeared in America during 1861. We do not yet have any 1861 CDVs. These images are solid evidence that CDVs were being made in 1862. They are an extrodinary matched set of hand tinted CDVs. We have found quite a number of tinted dags, but tinting CDVs was less common. I'm not sure why this was, but perhaps the more expensive dags allowedcthe studios to do the extra tinting work. These early CDVs did not have any printing on the front, but there was stamp on the back idetifying the photographer. This particulsr photographer wrote in the number of the image.

The Civil War

The American Civil War broke out when Confederate forces fired on Fourt Sumter in Charleston harbor (April 1861). This would suggest that the portraits here could have been taken to send to a father serving in the Federal army during the Civil War.

Clothing

The boys wear almost identical white dresses. The dresses have low necklines and elaborate lace work. They have bows at the shoulders. The image suggess maroon bows, but we are not sure that was the actual color. We suspect that the studionmade some attempt to match colors, but we are not positive they did in this case. Theonly difference between the dresses is that on has a bow at the front and the other boy has waist tassles. Both boys have pantalettes and white stockings.

Hair Styles

Both these boys have short hair cuts despite the fact that they are very young and not yet breeched.

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Created: 3:30 AM 4/13/2007
Last updated: 3:30 AM 4/13/2007