|
The early research on photography was done in Europe. Americans while they did not participate in the initial research, took to the European developments and the potential for a new industry with a vengence. And Americans also began doing their own research. Processes developed in Europe appeared in America within months. The first commercial process was the Daguerreotypr (1839). Almost immediately Daguerreotype studios appeared in America and by the mid-1840s there were more studios in America than all of Europe combined. Developers in Europe were able with varying degress of success to enforce patents. American photographers, however, paid no attention to patents in the early stages of the industry. And European inventors were unable to enforece their pantents in the United States. We note large numbers of cased Dags in America from the 1840s and 50s. We find far fewer dags, especially cased Dags and Ambros, in Europe, even France where the process was developed. We are not sure just why this is. It may reflected a greater reluctance of European dealers, including France, to sell their items over the internet rather than an actual differerence in the number of portraits made. But we think there were probably far more Dags made in America. An American Reverend Hill claims to have create the first color process (about 1850s). New processes appeared in the 1850s. The tintype was also developed in France. Prof. Hamilton L. Smith in America developed the tintype or ferrotype process (1856). He patented the process. The Ambroitype became very popular and was less expensive than the Daguerrotype. The albumen process used for CDVs and cabinets cards was also developed in Europe and quickly adopted in America. The cabonet card appeared only a few years after the CDV (1866). And unlike Europe quickly became the starfd type of studio portrait. The tintype was an almost instant process, ideal for both small-scale local and itinerant street photographers. The Several inventors made important contributions. It was the Americam George Eastman that created the first user frindly camera for anateurs--the Kodak Brownie. The resulting snapshot revolutiinized photography. Many early photographs, both studio portasits and snapshots were done with psotcard backs. Color processes were developed in the inter-War era. Germany was a leader in color photography, in part because of the country's large chemical industry. German industry was, however, destroyed in World War II and Kodak energed as a world leader in photography after the War, dominating the market for many years. It was only well after World War II that color photograohy became standard.
The early research on photography was done in Europe. Americans while they did not participate in the initial research, took to the European developments and the potential for a new industry with a vengence. And Americans also began doing their own research. Processes developed in Europe appeared in America within months. The first commercial process was the Daguerreotypr (1839). Almost immediately Daguerreotype studios appeared in America and by the mid-1840s there were more studios in America than all of Europe combined. Developers in Europe were able with varying degress of success to enforce patents. American photographers, however, paid no attention to patents in the early stages of the industry. And European inventors were unable to enforece their pantents in the United States. We note large numbers of cased Dags in America from the 1840s and 50s. We find far fewer dags, especially cased Dags and Ambros, in Europe, even France where the process was developed. We are not sure just why this is. It may reflected a greater reluctance of European dealers, including France, to sell their items over the internet rather than an actual differerence in the number of portraits made. But we think there were probably far more Dags made in America. An American Reverend Hill claims to have create the first color process (about 1850s). New processes appeared in the 1850s. The tintype was also developed in France. Prof. Hamilton L. Smith in America developed the tintype or ferrotype process (1856). He patented the process. The Ambroitype became very popukar ad was less expensive than the Daguerrotype. The albumen process used for CDVs and cabinets cards was also developed in Europe and quickly adopted in America. The cabinet card appeared only a few years after the CDV (1866). And unlike Europe quickly became the standard type of studio portrait. The tintype was an almost instant process, ideal for both small-scale local and itinerant street photographers. The Several inventors made important contributions. It was the Americam George Eastman that created the first user frindly camera for anateurs--the Kodak Brownie. The resulting snapshot revolutiinized photography. Many early photyographs, both stufio portraits and snapshots were done with psotcard backs. Color processes were developed in the inter-War era. Germany was a leader in color photography, in part because of the country's large chemical industry. German industry was, however, destroyed in World War II and Kodak energed as a world leader in photography after the War, dominating the market for many years. It was only well after World War II that color photography became standard.
Photography began with the work of researchers in Europe, pimrily France and Britain. The European developments quickly crossed the Atlantic. The first such proces was the Dagurreotype (1840s). The industry prospered in the rapidly growing American economy where copyright restrictions were earlier than in Europe. New less expensive processes, the Ambro-type ad tintyoe, appeared which reduced the cost opf a photographic portrait (1850s). Dags ad Ambros were made in greater numbers than painted portraits, but the numbers were still limited. It was the albumen process, first with the CDV and later the cabinet card that brought photography to the masses (1860s). A studio portrait could be made inexpensively and copies could be made to send to families and friends. The cabinet card rapidly became popular with clients and came to dominate the American industry, unlike Europe where the CDV remined popular for some time. Major changes in photography occurred after the turn-of-the 20th century (1900s). Kodak introduced the easy to use Brownie camera and the resulting family snapshot took photography out of the studio. We also begin to see other formats like postcards. Most postcard-back prints were several nitrate ptints. In addfution silver nitrate prints replced albumen prints. The albumen priocess was still used in the new century, especially for cbinet cards, but it was very rapidly replaced with the silver nitate process which would dominate photography until color printing became common (1970s).
Commercial photography was invented in Europe, but grew much more rapidly in America. The invention and improvement of photography created a problem--what to do with the finished portraits. Early photographs were very expensive and fragile. This meant there was not a very serious problem because there were not very many photographs, but they had to be well protected. Thus the initual system of little cases worked well for both Saguerreotyoes nd Anbrotypes. Early tin-types were also cased, at least in America. These cased images were especially popilar in America.
Gradually less expensive tin-type and negative processes were developed. The CDV was the first such formt. Again this occured in Francde, but photography was more extensive in America than Europe. This created prints in large numbers for the first time. Encasing them was no longer a reasonable solution and not necessary as CDVs were not as prone to damage. Rather prints were mounted on carboard. These mounbts came in many colors and print types. Families soon found themselves with piles of photographs. The sollution to photographic clutter was albums in which CDVs and cabinent cards could be collected and brought out for friends and relatives. Cabinet cards proved more popular in America than Europe. Negatives also enabled photographic studios to print enlargements that could be framed for wall displays. Tin types often came in inexpensive paper frames. After the turn of the 20th century, cardboard mounts gave way to paper frames of various designs. Parents could buy more expensive frames, but paper frames were commonly providd bt the studios. All of these different approaches and the styling associated with them can be used to help date photographs.
Photograophy was invented in Europe. The firsr commercual process was invented by Louis Daguerre (1839). American aridsts and inventir Samuel F. B. Morse happened to be in Paris at the time promote his telegraph ivntion. He met Daguerre and returns and was fascunated by his process. This was a few months before Daguerre and scientist Francois Arago and with Daguerre announces the details of the first commercially practical photographic process--the Daguerreotype. By this time Morse had alreasy returned to New York and had begun teach the process. One of his pupils was Matthew Brady, the first famous American photographer. For a decade, Dags were the only commercial process (1840s) and would continues to be important for another decade (1850s). Photography was a technological miracle at the time. The process was not all that complicated. It mean that a person with only limited capital could start up a profitble business. And more studios wereopened in America than any other country, many more. And by this time the rail roads were appearing faclitting commerrce. Photographic studios first appeared in the growing northeastern cities and very rapidly spread out around the country expanding on the riverboat system that already existed. Bulky equipment and jars of chemicals needed to be transported and railroads facilitated this. Thids meant that photography was almost entirely limited to photographic studios. Photography was perfectly suited to America. It was the democrtizatiom of portraiture. Before the Dag only well to do people could afford portraits because they had to be painted. The Dag was not cheap, but it brought down the cost significantly. And entrepreneurs with limited money could open a studio, perhaps after working for a short time in a studio. Historians estimate that Americans purchased some 3 million Dags in 1853--its peak of popularity. [Sandweiss] That was more than all the rest of the world combined. That reflected the fact that the American population and economy were growing along with roaring capitalist economy. America by the 1870s had out paced all European countries. (Russia had a larger population, but a smaller economy.) Photographs were taken in far greater numbers in America than any other country. Not only was the American population growing, but the American worker was the best paid and most prosperous in the world and the middle class was the world's largest. There were constant technological advances. Ambrotypes and tintypes appeared (1850s). And albumen prints meaning the CDV and cabinent card began appearing in enormous numbers (1860s). They would be the primary output of 19th century studios. This is also when stereo-view cards appeared--bringing a wide range of photographic images to the public for the first time. The albumen process significantly reduced the cost, further expnading the number of studios. The studios if course varies greatly, from ritzy 5th Avenue New York studios to small town main street studios. The various studios had a variety of sets. There were also a small number of traveling studios. The most basic studios were those in carnavals and state fairs. The vast majority of photographs during the 19th century were portraits in these studios. Photographers began moving outside the studuo, mostly notably in the Califorina Gold Rush (1848) and the Crimean War (1850s). But it was the Civil War that brought photograohy to the attention og mny Americans (1860s). We begin to see some amnateur snapashots, but very few until the 1890s. YThe really major change outside the studio occurred at the turn of the 20th century. It is at this time that George Eastman released the Kodak Brownie (1900) making the snapshot. The other major developmnt was the perfection of lithiography making in possible for photographs to be published. .
It is interesting to note that America at this time also had a postcard industry. Post cards began to appear in large numbers during the early 1890s. Imports, especilly imports from Germany, were very important in America--at least until World War I (1914-18). Beautifully dressed children, however, were never as popular on American postcards as on English and French postcards. Actually beginning in the 1900s and continuing in the 1920s, Americans could choose to have their photographs developed with a postcard back. This allowed the photos to be mailed to family and relatives like postcards. Large numbers of these cards exist. In France, however, people appeared to have preferred to purchase ready made postcards like this one. A discerning collector can date many post cards even if they have not been postally used.
Photography was invented by Louis Daguerre (1839). Fahuerre's process was complicated an required a stydio and bith elaborate and bukljy quipment to prouce other processes folowed, but they were not pricesses the average vperson could adopt. It was possible to move outside the studio, but photographers who did so needed a waggon full of equiment and supplies to do so. The whole process was both difficult and ponderous. As a result, the great bulk of 19th century photographs were taken in studios. Slow emulsions futher complicated matters. Allof this meant formal images with the subject or subject sittingbor standing ramroad strraight. Smiking was difficult. Any movemrnt could blur the image. The conventiins and poses basically fololowed hise of painted portraits. And most of the realtively small number of outdoor photograophs were taken by photgraphers associated with studios. The few amateur photographers were mostly men in comfortable circumstances that could support an expensive hobby. This did not begin to change until the end of the century. The major change came when Kodak introduced a simple camera and roll film that could be used by amateurs and was relatively inexpensive (1888).
George Eastman's new Kodak camera was a small hand-held box. It cost only $25 which was not cheap, but a far cry from wanted anmateur photograohrrts needed earlier. It meant that photography was now within the range od the prosperous middle class. And most imprtantly, it meant simplicity. It was purchased by mail. There ere nomKodak stores. The camera arrived 100 'shots' preloaded. Once exposed, you did not relload, but shipped the camera back to Eastman's Kodak factory in Rochester, New York. There Kodak developed the photos and mailed the prints back to you along with the reloaded camera. Kodak's corporate slogan was, "You press the button, we do the rest." The instantaneous shutter inspired the term -- snap shot. Suddenly the family snap shot was launched, creating a new word in the English lanuage and a new cultural experince. One author explaims, photography became unmoored in space and time. And tyhe cameral was small enbough it could be taken where ever a person oerson went, into the back yard or to ghe bmost remote places on earth. And no only was the family snapshot invented, but advances in lithography at about the same time meant that photo journalism was bcoming practical. Overtime the price of photograoy came down, making photograpy accessable to a widening sector of society. An imoprtant step was the Kodak Brownie. The initail price was only $1. The low price and the increasing prosperity in America created a mass markert. As a result, no country has a photographhic record quite like that of America. Not only did America haved a large population, but no country had the same level of prosperity able to aford the niceties of life. There appears to be an inate human desire in preserved a moment in their lives, especially of themselvbes along with family and friends. And in doing so, these images become historical documents, especually valuable for social history which is becoming increasingly important. All of this was at first only outdoors because of the low emulsion speeds. Virtually everything could now be recorded: a new baby, family groupings, first day of school, the home, and thsnk to Henry Ford the family car, travel, all kinds of adventures, discoveries, and much more. nd all of this could be collct in lnums or mailed to family ad frinds. There were all kinds o resulting prints. Some were printed by studios and were done as CDVs or cabinet cards. Muh more imprtant were post-card prints which appeared at about the same time as the Browmim Then ee see basic prints in all kinds of sizes , configurations, and with and without borderds. By the Roaring Twentieus the camera had become widely owned and Americans were using them to document all kinds of occasions along with the mundane detilas of every day life. Children and pets were subjcts of special interest.
Americans wanted to photograph their Christmas experiebces from an early point. This was not feasible in the 19th century. Most photographs in the 19th century weee portraits taken in photograpic studios. And to capture family Christmases you need to take photigraohs at home whih means that dad needed to be able to take photographs at home on Christmas Day. We see a few of these images in the 1890s, but not very many. We see far more in the 1900s decade with the advent of the snapshot beginning with the Kodak Brownie (1900). Now indoor photogeaphers were much more complicated than outdoor photographs. And gradually more family friendly methods of taking indoor photographs were developed. So we have countless family Chrisstmas image photograohs. There was a problem with family Christmas snapshots. They could not be shared with families and friends until well after Christmas--at least before digital photography and the internet. Sending card greetungs was becoming popular by the turn of the 20th century. Often families with kids would slip in a family portrait in with the Christmas card. Then suddenly in the late-1940s we begin to see special Christmas greetings card with a family portrait. The problenm with this is it could not be a Christmas portrait. The photograph had to be taken and submitted to the card company well before Christmas. This became very popular during the 1950s-70s.
Color photography was attempted almost as soon as commercial photography first appeared with the Daguerrotype (1839). The first expermimebts began almost immediately (1840s). Much of the ensuing effort at first occurred in Europe. There was, however, one early American experimenter--American Daguerreotypist Levi Hill.
The resulting Hillotype like most early processes were complicated and produced results that had some color reproduction, but hardly full color images. Most color photography in the 19th century and early-20th century were tinted black and white images. There were efforts to tint from the very beginning. Studios tunted all the different kinds of photograhs beginning with the Daguerreotype. Real color photogaphy ws based on the three-color method. It is the foundation of virtually all commercial color processes (both chemical and electronic). It was first theorized by Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1855). Maxwell's theory was based on the fact that the human eye produces signals to the brain which are interpreted as color. The signals are produced by the inner surface (retina) produced by millions of cone cells. There are three types. One type is most sensitive to the end of the spectrum (red), another sensitive to the middle (green), and the third is higly sensitive to the beginning of the spectrum (blue). These three tyoes of cone cells are intermingled throughout the retina. It is the brain that that takes these three basic signals are produces the vast array of tints abnd hues which we see as color. Thus greatly simplified the work of experimebts. They only had to worry about three colors--not millions. Even this, however, was a major undertaking. Color photographs soon began to appear, mostly in Europe. The color reproduction was not very effectuve and the processes involved very complicated.
Photographic images are extremely valuable historical information. Drawings, paintings, and written documents can be mistken for a variety of reasons. Photograph are basically definitive statements. They show what boys actually wore rather than an artists intrpretation. There are some limitiations associated with photographs. Chilren could be dressed up in costumes rather than their actual clothing. The vast majority of photographs, however, show boys wearing their actual clothes. The greatest problem, however, is that large numbers of photographs are undated and the individuals not identified. There are, however, ways of assessing these unidentified images. They are not fool proof indicators, but they are helpful in assessing these images.
Sandweiss, Martha A. "Photography in nineteenth-century America," The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: AP US History Study Guide (2009-2019). Sandweiss is professor of history at Princeton University and the author of Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception across the Color Line (2009) and Print the Legend: Photography and the American West (2002).
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main photographic country page]
[Return to the Main U.S. page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Essays]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[ Boys' Clothing Home]
