Figure 1.-- This English cabinet card was dated September 1880. Notice the thin blue rule. And instead of the cty, 'Photographers' is at the bottom right. This probably means that it was London which is confirmed on the obverse. Someone has chopped off the bottom of the card. Click on the image for more information.

The 1880s English cabinet cards might still have a subsatantial margin round the print. Many English cabinet cards were done rather like CDVs so without knowing the dinensions of the cards it is often not possible to know for sure if the a card was a CDV or a cabinet card. Many cards just had a left and right bottom text like CDVs, usually the studio and city in which the studio was located. The cabinet card here is an exception (fugure 1). Some cabinet cards had rule lines. These were most common on CDVs. Note here there is a large margin including the area within and outside of the rule line (figure 1). Colored ruling was very common with CDVs when they first appeared. They were very common in the 1860s and very prominent. We see some cabinet cards without the city indicated on the front, but believe that these were mostly London studios. They coninued to be used with cabinet cards. And we see still see them in the 1880s, especially the early-80s. We note a lot of cabinet cards with mounts done in colors, some in gilded letters. Red seems a popular color. They were often dark colors, but we see some light colors, ligter thn we see in America, We also notice some white or whitish cards. The whitish card here was done in 1880 (figure 1). Our initial impresion is that the whitish cards were more common in the 1880s than America. As our European photographic sections are more limited than our American archive, the temptation is to use our American archive to date foreign cards, but as we see here, there are differences.

Margins

The 1880s English cabinet cards might still have a subsatantial margin round the print.

Similarity to CDVs

Many English cabinet cards were done rather like CDVs so without knowing the dinensions of the cards it is often not possible to know for sure if the a card was a CDV or a cabinet card. Many cards just had a left and right bottom text like CDVs, usually the studio and city in which the studio was located. The cabinet card here is an exception (fugure 1).

Rule Lines

Some cabinet cards had rule lines. These were most common on CDVs. Note here there is a large margin including the area within and outside of the rule line (figure 1). Colored ruling was very common with CDVs when they first appeared. They were very common in the 1860s and very prominent.

Bottom Text

We see some cabinet cards without the city indicated on the front, but believe that these were mostly London studios. They coninued to be used with cabinet cards. And we see still see them in the 1880s, especially the early-80s.

Colors

We note a lot of cabinet cards with mounts done in colors, some in gilded letters. Red seems a popular color. We do not yet have a good idea of the different colors being used. Our English archive is too limited, escpecially cards that are dated. The cards in America during the 1880s were mostly dark colors like burgandy, darl blue, forrest green, dark brown, and black. We excpect hat the same colors were popular in England, but we can not yet confirm this. Hopefully we will get a better ideas as HBC grows. They were often dark colors, but we see some light colors, lighter than we see in America, We also notice some white or whiting cards. The whitish card here was done in 1880 (figure 1). Our initial impresion is that the whitish cards weee more common in the 1880s than America. As our European photographic sections are more limited than our American archive, the temptation is to use our American archive to date foreign cards, but as we see here, there are differences.

Created: 6:09 PM 3/18/2017
Last updated: 6:09 PM 3/18/2017