Meeting Summary
25th April 2001 at Reading

Berks FHS Contents 

given by Jean Debney on Wed, 25th February 2001

Jean provided the following handout:

DATING YOUR OLD PHOTOGRAPHS

Using examples mostly from my own collection, this talk aims to help you identify your Victorian and twentieth century family photographs.

Photography was "born" early in 1839 and became more widely available in the 1850s. As prices fell in the 1860s more and more people were able to obtain "likenesses".

Original nineteenth century photographs can usually be dated within approximately a decade from the costume worn by the subject(s), the pose and studio setting chosen by the photographer as well as the size and type of print and mount used. In addition, where the name and address of the photographer has been included on the mount, research in local directories will help to discover when they were in business. Identification from modern copies can only be made from the costume and studio setting as all other features are usually lost in the copying process.

The style of commercial photography changed dramatically at the turn of this century when the thick and elaborately printed mounts were replaced by plain beige or brown card in various sizes. Amateur family snap-shots on roll film were cheaper from about 1900 and post cards of commercial views and also portraits were very popular from 1904.

 

Select Bibliography

CLARKE, A A: Police Uniform & Equipment (Shire Album, 1991)

DAVIDSON, D C: Spectacles, Lorgnettes & Monocles (Shire Albun, 1989)

GINSBURG, M: Victorian Dress in Photographs (Batsford, 1982)

GREENACRE, D: Magic Lanterns (Shire Album, 1986)

HANAWAY, J: Fox Talbot (Shire Lifelines, 1976; 2nd ed reprint 1987)

HILL, C W: Picture Postcards (Shire Album, 1987)

KEERS, Paul: A Gentleman's Wardrobe (Geo Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1987)

LANDSDALE, Avril: Fashion à la Carte (Shire Album, 1985; reprint 1992)

LANDSDALE, Avril: Seaside Fashions 1860-1939 (Shire Album, 1990)

LANDSDALE, Avril: Wedding Fashions 1860-1980 (Shire Album, 2nd ed 1986; reprint 1992)

LANDSDALE, Avril: Occupation Costumes (Shire Album, 1977; reprint 1990)

LANE, Andrew: Motoring Costume (Shire Albun, 1987)

LINKMAN, Audrey: Caring for your Famioy Photographs at Home (M/Cr, 1991)

LINKMAN, Audrey: The Victorians - Photographic Portraits (Tauris Parke Books, 1993)

JARVIS, A & RAINE, P: Fancy Dress (Shire Album, 1984)

MARTIN, E: Collecting & Preserving Old Photographs (Collins, 1988)

POLS, Robert. Dating Old Photographs (FFHS, 2^nd ed 1995)

POLS, Robert: Looking at Old Photographs (FFHS. 1998)

POLS, Robert: Understand old Photographs (Boyd, 1995)

STEEL, D & TA.YLOR, L: Family History in Focus (Lutterworth Press, 1984)

Fashion source books - variouss titles and periods

Victorian & Edwardian Photographs - various titles and places.

Jean DEBNEY © 2000

updated 28th April 2001