Figure 1.--Most American Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes were done as cased images that people caried with them. These early formats were fragile and easily damaged, thus protection was important. Cased photographs were not as common in Europe as in America. Neither format was suitable for albums. And they were expensive enough that most people only had a few.

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 Daguerreotyoes and Anbrotypes. Early tin-types were also cased, at least in America. These cased images were especially popular in America. Gradually less expensive tin-type and negative processes were developed. The CDV was the first such formt. Again this occured in France, 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 mounts 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 cabinet cards could be collected and brought out for friends and relatives. Albums with slots that CDVs could be fitted into were developed for both CDVs and cabinet cards. 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 provided by the studios. All of these different approaches and the styling associated with them can be used to help date photographs.

Cases

Commercial photography was invented in France, beginning with the Daguerreotype (1839). British experimenters were also developing photographic processes. This was not occurring in America, but once the Dag process was developed, the industry grew much more rapidly in America (1840s). The invention and improvement of photography created a problem--what to do with the finished portraits. Early photographs were expensive and fragile. The Dag image was developed on a metal plate, but could be easily scratched. The glass Ambrotype was less expensive, but much more fragile than the Dag metal plates (1850s). This meant there was very serious problem because there were not very many photographs, but they had to be well protected. But both the early images had to be protected. The answer at least in America was small cases that could be carried in pockets and hand bags. The initial system of little cases worked well for both Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes. These cased images were especially popular in America. There was a image on one side and a protective cushion on the other side. Hinged union cases as you see here could display two images (figure 1). We do not see these cases in Europe. We are not sure why, perhaps there were just not that many images. Tin-types also appeared (1850s). And they were also at first done in cases, but more out of precedent than necessity. Daguerreotype cases were made from a variety of materials. The most common cases are made of wood covered with tooled leather or embossed paper. The earliest Dag cases were covered in leather, sometimes finely tooled. Leather was not as durable and any desired decoration had to be done by hand--an expensive matter. We think that most of the 1840s Dags wre covered in leather. It is at this time that gutta percha, a kind of early plastic (1843-44) was introduced in Britain. Enterprising men soon found countless uses for it from dentistry to trans-Atlantic cables. We are not sure how long it took, but we see gutta percha being used as a decorative cover for photograph cases. Unlike leather, gutta percha was very durable and could be inexpensively molded into countless decorative designs which proved popular with the public. We are not entirely sure when gutta percha/thermal plastic cases, with elaborate designs appeared. One source suggests 1854. We are not entirely sure about that. It could have been earlier. This was about the time that Ambrotypes and Tin-types appeared (mid-1850s). The Dags and Ambros disappeared along with the cases with the appearance of the CDV (early-1860s). Tin-types, however, continued for many decades. They were less expensive than Dags and Ambros and less fragile so protective cases were not needed.

Mounts

Gradually less expensive tin-type and negative processes were developed. Tun-ypes were not mounted, although the ones done in the 50s were commonly cased. The negative-based processes were commonly mounted, at least in the 19th cebtury. The CDV was the first such format. Again this occured in France, 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 mounts came in many colors and print types.

Sleeves

We notice many studios providing sleeves for finished portraits. This was primarily inexpensive paper sleeves to protect for CDVs. We believe thiswas very common in America. We do not know about other countries. We believe this was fairly common in the 1860s and 70s. We also notice paper sleeves for tin-yypes, but are unsure how common they were. We are not cure about cabinet cards. We have not yet noted paper sleeves for cabinet cards, but that dos not mean they did not exit. We have noted leather sleeves, but do not believe that they wer very common. Over time, most of the sleeves have been lost. Thus there general prevalence in the photographuc record is not a good indicator of actual prevalence.

Albums

Families soon found themselves with piles of photographs. The sollution to photographic clutter was albums in which CDVs and cabinet cards could be collected and brought out for friends and relatives. Albums with slots that CDVs could be fitted into were developed for both CDVs and cabinet cards. Cabinet cards proved more popular in America than Europe. CDVs and caninrts cards could also be used for scrapbooking, but the family snapshot was even more suitable.

Frames

Negatives also enabled photographic studios to print enlargements that could be framed for wall displays. Tin types often came in inexpensive paper sleeves. We do not see paper frames frames until after the turn of the 20th century. Cardboard mounts gradually gave way to paper frames as albumen images were replaced with silver nitrate prints. We see these paper frames in various designs. Some were very plain, often with just framing line boxes like early CDVs. Other had elaborate designs with lovely art deco styling. Some had very elaborate designs and were moire like pieces of art. . Parents could buy more expensive frames, but paper frames were commonly provided by the studios. At first they had to be propped up like cabinet cards. Paper frames were initially not designed to be stood up on desks and tables. Like CDVs and cabinet cards, they had to be propped up. They were more designed tob be stored away and brought out to be shown. Some might have been placed in albums, but mosly they were put away in drawers or other storage areas and brouht out to show visitors. Some had or had ovelapping flaps or protective overlsys. Eventually the cut out back support was invented so that the frames were self supporting. All of these different approaches and the styling associated with them can be used to help date photographs.

Created: 11:53 AM 12/11/2014
Last updated: 9:18 PM 4/17/2025