We’ve been looking at early photographs in the last few articles, and I’d like to finish that today by mentioning a few of the other types of photos in the early years. We’ve looked at daguerreotypes, tintypes, carte de visites, and cabinet cards, but there are many more kinds of pictures.
An ambrotype (1854 –1865) was a glass plate with a negative image on it. The image became a positive image when a black backing (india ink or felt) was added. Some of my most favorite old photos are ambrotypes.
Calotypes (1841–1862) were positive images on salted paper, made from negatives. These aren’t often as clear as some other types of paper photo — the albumen prints (a glass negative transferred to paper coated with egg whites) are usually more “in focus”. These albumen prints are the carte de visites and cabinet cards we often see.
The cyanotype (1842–1910s) looks like a blueprint and was done with the same process. They are usually on thin cards or postcard-sized cardstock.
One big surprise for me was a type of photo that I didn’t know existed so early. It’s the stereotype, or stereo view. These are unique in photography because they were taken with a special camera that had two lenses, set side-by-side (a binocular camera). They are printed on paper, attached to a card like the cards used for cabinet cards. However, since there were two lenses, the images captured were from slightly different angles.
Mounting both images side-by-side on a three-by-seven inch card, and then using a stereoscope (a device with two lenses that bring the two images together) you can see the image in stereo (think ViewMaster). I was surprised that these photos were made as early as the 1850s. I have a stereoscope and over a hundred stereo photos, and the images are spectacular. This way of looking at photos was very popular in sitting rooms before radio and television.
When you are trying to date photographs, there are many tools. I wrote about a directory last time (for Michigan photographers), but there are other ways. You can try to get a copy of the “Collector’s Guide to Early Photographs” by O. Henry Mace, or you can look up the kind of photo to see when certain variations were made. Backgrounds, ornamentation, type of photo case or paper, and especially clothing and hairstyles, can help with dating.
For clothing and hairstyles, there are many books, including “Dressed for the Photographer” by Joan Severa. These books show examples of the types of clothing and hairstyles of women and men for different time periods, which can help you identify your ancestors. One thing to remember is that, in early times, both boys and girls wore dresses in their first years. A way to usually differentiate is that boys almost always had their hair parted on the side, even if it was long and curled, and girls had theirs parted in the middle.
Now, on to another subject. A man named Jack Myers recently contacted me. He gave me permission to use his name and email address in my column because he’s looking for information that you might have. Mr. Myers is a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but he originates from Fowler. He is researching the fire that destroyed St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Westphalia on April 20, 1959.
He’s looking for photos and any news articles or first-hand accounts of the fire so he can write a history of the event. I know it affected everyone in Westphalia, and many in the surrounding areas, reaching far into Ionia County, so if we could help him out, he would be able to do better research.
He said, “My interest is purely historical, as I’m hoping to include these pieces in a respectful and accurate account of the fire’s impact on the community.”
Jack has copies of the two historical books that talk about the fire, and he’s in contact with the Westphalia Historical Society. If you have anything that may help him, email him at jsmyers4@wisc.edu, or contact me (email below). This seems to be a very worthy project that would enrich our area’s historical knowledge.
— Jim Moses welcomes comments and suggestions at jmosesgen@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Jim Moses: The last word on old photos … and a call for research assistance
Reporting by Jim Moses, Community Columnist / Livingston Daily
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