Figure 1.--The albumen-based photographic procsss, developed by French experimenhts, replaced the Daguerreotype and the Ambrotype as the primary photographic process (1860s-90s). Both carte-de visites (CDVs) and cabinet cards were the primary commercial formats. This CDV was taken in Paris during 1876. For unknown reasons, the CDV remained popular in Europe while cabinet cards became the dominant albumen process in America. The common convention was to put the name of the studio and city on the front. This photgrapher rather putting Paris on the front put the name of the studio he purchased with the address of the studio. The address rather than the city was only common in Paris.

The first albumen photographs were done with glass plates. The photographer had to pour the chemicals on the plate. This was complicated enough in a studio. To go outside, he essentially had to travel with a photographic laboratory. It was only when creating a negative and coated paper became available that the process became commercially viable. There were two primary commercial albumen processes: carte-de-visites and cabinet cards. The carte-de-visite (CDV) like the Daguerreotype was invented in France. As the name suggests, the origins of the carte-de-viste (CDV) using a negative process was French (1851). Another source indicates that a French photographer, André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, introduced the CDV (1854). We do not, however, begin to see many actual examples until the end of the decade. Unlike Daguerreotypes, we have found large numbers of French CDVs, although not until the 1860s. We are unsure why they did not become more popular in the 1850s. CDVs of Emperor NApoleon III helped popularize the CDV. Large numbers of people wanted them for gheir albums. The makor reason for the popularity of CDVs was low cost family portaits, but inexoensice photographs if famous peopke were also much in demand. The CDV was the primary type, but we also see cabinet cards. We note large numbers of CDVs that look similar to American and other European CDVs. We are not yet sure about cabinet cards as we have so few examples. The cabinet card appeared in America (1866). We are not sure when they first appeared in France. The CDV seems to have been much more popular in France than the cabinet card. We are as a result, unable to develop trends in French cabinet cards. We do not know why cabinet cards proved less popular in France and other European countries than in America. We do note cabinet cards being done as late as 1940. They disappeared earlier in other countries. We do not notice them after World War II.

Glass Plates

The first albumen photographs were done with glass plates. The photographer had to pour the chemicals on the plate. This was complicated enough in a studio. To go outside, he essentially had to travel with a photographic laboratory. It was only when coated paper became available that the process became commercially viable.

Paper Portraits

Using negatives and paper essentially created the modern low-cost photogrph. There were two primary commercial albumen processes: carte-de-visites and cabinet cards. Both were primarily, but not exclusively taken in studios. The carte-de-visite (CDV) like the Daguerreotype was invented in France. As the name suggests, the origins of the carte-de-viste (CDV) using a negative process was French (1851). Another source indicates that a French photographer, André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, introduced the CDV (1854). We do not, however, begin to see many actual examples until the end of the decade. Unlike Daguerreotypes, we have found large numbers of French CDVs, although not until the 1860s. We are unsure why they did not become more popular in the 1850s when they first appeared. CDVs of Emperor Napoleon III helped popularize the CDV. Large numbers of people wanted one for their albums. Unlike the early formts. Copies could be mass produced from a sinle negative. In an era before movies, televidion, and even lthougraphy, the public had an untapped interest in imageryu, seeing not only familiy memnbers, but important figures as well. The major reason for the popularity of CDVs was low cost family portaits, but inexpensice photographs of famous people were much in demand. The CDV was the primary type in the 1860s and 80s, but we also see cabinet cards. We note large numbers of CDVs that look similar to American and other European CDVs. We are not yet sure about cabinet cards as we have so few examples. The cabinet card appeared in America (1866). We do not know when they first appeared in France. The CDV seems to have been much more popular in France than the cabinet card. We are as a result, not yet able to develop trends in French cabinet cards. We do not know why cabinet cards proved less popular in France and other European countries than in America. We do note cabinet cards being done as late as 1940. They disappeared earlier in other countries. We do not see them after World War II.

Stereoscoipic Cards

Created: 1:40 AM 6/10/2011
Last updated: 2:28 PM 8/13/2016