Date your old photograph

Below is a list of links to photographic processes, links to sites which, I’ve used over the years to help date my own personal photographs. These maybe helpful to you if you are tracing your family tree, and have old photos of family members you are not sure of.

CLUES IN PHOTOGRAPHS SECTION

VIDEOS SECTION

PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES

Daguerrotype Photo
Daguerreotypes  1840s – 1850s    

Photo Credit –https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harvard_Daguerreotypes_-_sAg_168.70.1.jpg

http://www.phototree.com/id_dag.htm
https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-daguerreotype-photography/

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=366

Salted Paper prints
Salted Paper Prints 1840 – 1860

Photo Credit  – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Henry_Fox_Talbot,_View_of_the_Boulevards_of_Paris,_1843.jpg

https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_saltprint.pdf

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=269

Calotype Photo
Calotypes 1841 – 1860

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:-Collection_of_British_Calotypes_and_Wood-engravings-_MET_DP70833.jpg

https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/589_calotype.html

https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/specialcollections/collectionsa-z/hilladamson/calotypeprocess/



Cyanotype Photo
Cyanotype 1842 – 1950

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anna_Atkins_Cystoseira_granulata.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=319
https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_cyanotype.pdf




Ambrotype
Ambrotype 1850s – 1880s

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambrotype_of_a_baby_with_cuttings_of_hair_under_the_glass_(3588772191).jpg

http://www.phototree.com/id_amb.htm

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-collodion-positive-ambrotype/

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=283

Wet plate Collodion
Wet Plate Collodion  1851 – 1885

Photo credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Early_portrait_of_a_rather_plump_Victorian_gentleman_-_glass_wet_plate_collodion_negative_(5061962270).jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=352

Tintype Photo
Tintype  1855 – 1940s

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Group_portrait,_family_of_five,_Cased_tintype,_half_plate.jpg

http://www.phototree.com/id_tin.htm

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-ferrotype-tintype/

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=280

Carte De Visite
Carte De Visite  late 1850s – c.1910

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Victoria.jpg

http://www.phototree.com/id_cdv.htm

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-a-carte-de-visite/

Albumen Photo
Albumen 1860 – 1895

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arch_of_Titus_by_Romualdo_Moscioni._Albumen_Print.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=143

https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_albumen.pdf

Woodburytype Photo
Woodburytype 1864 – 1910

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%89tienne_Carjat,_Portrait_of_Charles_Baudelaire,_circa_1862.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=38

https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_woodburytype.pdf

Cabinet Card Photo
Cabinet Cards  1866 – c.1914

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chester_A_Arthur_Cabinet_Card_by_CM_Bell,_1882.jpg

http://www.phototree.com/id_cab.htm

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-a-cabinet-card/

Collotype 1870 – 1930

Photo Credit – https://www.goodfreephotos.com/spain/other-spain/the-library-and-the-chapter-at-the-cathedral-collotype-1889-in-santiago-de-compostela-spain.jpg.php

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=26

https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_collotype.pdf

Platinum Photo
Platinum 1880 – 1930

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Stieglitz_-_The_Last_Joke_Bellagio,_1887.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=271

https://web.archive.org/web/20131228084318/http://www.kimeia.com/pdf/history.pdf
Gelatin Photo
Gelatine Dry Plate 1880 – 1925

Photo Credit –  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Werner_Haberkorn_-_Via_Anchieta._S._Paulo_a_Santos._panorama_Fotolabor_-_53.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=303

Collodion Print
Collodion  1885 – 1910

Photo Credit  – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frederick_Douglass_LOC_collodion_c1865-80.jpg
http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=222

https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/atlas_collodion.pdf

Gelatin Photo
Gelatin 1885 – 1910

Photo Credit – http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=104

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=104


Silver Gelatin
Silver Gelatin 1890 – 2000

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Model_in_New_Look_fashion_on_steps_of_the_Public_Library_of_New_South_Wales,_1950__silver_gelatin_photoprint_by_Rob_Hillier_(7785514320).jpg


http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=266

Photogravure Photo
Photogravure 1890 – present

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aubrey_Beardsley_LCCN95500934.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=125

Gum Dichromate Photo
Gum Dichromate  1894 – 1930

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hb_3343412.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=343

Matte Collodion Photo
Matte Collodion 1895 – 1910

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrew_Jackson-Related_Collodion_Print_Photographs,_1897_(4359293217).jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=296

Carbon Photo
Direct Carbon 1900 – 1939

Photo Credit  – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emma_Barton_-_The_Awakening.jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=306

Postcard Photo
Postcard 1900 – 1950s

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Postcard._Greetings_from_the_dear_Homeland._Wildt_and_Kray,_London,_N.W._Series_no_1819._Printed_in_England._(1910)._(21643308556).jpg

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-a-postcard/

Rotogravure Photo
Rotogravure 1905 – present

Photo Credit – http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ggbain.03485/
http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=364

Screen Plate Photo
Autochrome Screen Plate 1907 – 1935

Photo Credit – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Accession_Number-_1982-2070-0002_(2678237668).jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=301

Bromoil Photo
Bromoil Transfer 1907 – 1930

Photo Credit  – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Roller_(1864%E2%80%931935)_1909_%C2%A9_Madame_d%27Ora_(1881%E2%80%931963)_Arthur_Benda_(1885%E2%80%931969).jpg

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=347



Silver Dye Photo
Silver Dye Bleach 1963 – 2012

Photo Credit – http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=326

http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=326

CLUES IN PHOTOGRAPHS

https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/family-photos-what-are-they-wearing-1406240689.html

http://www.centuryinshoes.com

https://www.worthpoint.com/articles/blog-entry/dating-vintage-photographs-1840-2

https://vintagefashionguild.org

https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/04/09/historical-fashion-expert-helps-time-date-your-old-family-photos/

http://www.internet-genealogy.com/Dating%20Old%20Photos.pdf

http://thephotoorganizers.com/dating-identifying-old-family-photographs/

http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/time/time.htm

VIDEOS

George Eastman House – Good video series on photographic processes.
Good way to identify a location.
Fashion Styles through the years
Good tips again on fashion styles and photo styles.
Daguerrotype Photo Conservation
Smile
What work goes in to a colourised photo.