Date an old photograph ? , this page may help you.

Below is a list of links to photographic processes and links to sites which I’ve used over the years, to help date my old photographs. These maybe helpful to you when you need to date an old photograph, 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

OLD PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES

Date an old photograph Daguerrotype Photo
Daguerreotypes  1840s – 1850s.   

Photo Credit -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

Date an old photograph Salted Paper prints
Salted Paper Prints 1840 – 1860.

Photo Credit  – 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

Date an old photograph Calotype Photo
Calotypes 1841 – 1860.

Photo Credit – 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/



Date an old photographCyanotype Photo
Cyanotype 1842 – 1950.

Photo Credit – 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




Date an old photograph Ambrotype
Ambrotype 1850s – 1880s.

Photo Credit – 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

Date an old photograph Wet plate Collodion
Wet Plate Collodion  1851 – 1885.

Photo credit – commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Early_portrait_of_a_rather_plump_Victorian_gentleman

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

Date an old photograph Tintype Photo
Tintype  1855 – 1940s.

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

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

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

Date an old photograph Carte De Visite
Carte De Visite  late 1850s – c.1910.

Photo Credit – 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/

old photograph Albumen Photo
Albumen 1860 – 1895.

Photo Credit – 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

Date an old photograph Woodburytype Photo
Woodburytype 1864 – 1910.

Photo Credit – 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

old photograph Cabinet Card Photo
Cabinet Cards  1866 – c.1914.

Photo Credit – 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/

old photograph Collotype
Collotype 1870 – 1930.

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

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

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

Date an old photograph Platinum Photo
Platinum 1880 – 1930.

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

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

Date an old photograph Gelatin Photo
Gelatine Dry Plate 1880 – 1925.

Photo Credit –  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

Date an old photograph Collodion Print
Collodion  1885 – 1910.

Photo Credit  – 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

Date an old photograph Gelatin Photo
Gelatin 1885 – 1910.

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

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


Silver Gelatin
Silver Gelatin 1890 – 2000.

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

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

photograph Carbon Photo
Direct Carbon 1900 – 1939.

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

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

old photograph Postcard Photo
Postcard 1900 – 1950s.

Photo Credit – 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/

photograph Rotogravure Photo
Rotogravure 1905 – present.

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

Screen Plate Photo
Autochrome Screen Plate 1907 – 1935.

Photo Credit – 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  –
Alfred Roller (1864–1935) 1909 © Madame d’Ora (1881–1963) Arthur Benda (1885–1969)

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



Silver Dye Photo
Silver Dye Bleach 1963 – 2012.

More can be found
http://www.graphicsatlas.org/identification/?process_id=326





CLUES IN OLD PHOTOGRAPHS

What Are They Wearing.

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

Dating Vintage Photos.

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

Vintage Fashion.

https://vintagefashionguild.org

Fashion Expert.

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

Genealogy.

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

Identify Old Family Photos.

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

Old UK Photo.

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

VIDEOS

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