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Phtoghraphy was invented in France (1839). It began with the Daguerreotype. Within months there were studios in America. No country took to photography as energetically or as rpidly as America. Thus we have a larger and more extensive 19th century photographic record for America than any other country. So we have a huge number of images available for the first time in the mid-19th century. Illustrations of families and individuals for most of history were limited to a relatively small of artistic depictions. These focused heavily on the elites of society. Photography in the mid-19th century revolutionized this. Suddenly we see large numbers of images not only from the elite sector of society, but from the middle-class as well. Daguerreotypes were epensive, but not nearly as expensive as a painted portrait. Ans a new photographic types were developed, the price steadilt declinedespecially with the albumen oroces (DFVs and cabinent cards (1860s). By the end of the century the working-class could also aford portraits. Most of the photographic images in the 19th century, however, were studio images with the subjects dressed up in their best or other clothing. Thus to see how children dressed outside the studio, we have to turn to artists and illustrators. Severl indiviuals are important here. None provide more wonderful images than Winslow Homer (1836-1910). He painted several importnt images of children and not only does he orivide images outside the photographic studio, but they are images of ordinay children and not just the rich and well-to-do middle-class. Given Homer's age, one might have thought he would beter represent the late-19th century. But artists are often influenced s to how they depict children by their earlier years. In addition, children fashions on the frontier and rural are did not change as rapidly as city fashion.
Phtoghraphy was invented in France (1839). It began with the Daguerreotype. Within months there were studios in America. No country took to photography as energetically or as rpidly as America. Thus we have a larger and more extensive 19th century photographic record for America than any other country. So we have a huge number of images available for the first time in the mid-19th century. Illustrations of families and individuals for most of history were limited to a relatively small of artistic depictions. These focused heavily on the elites of society. Photography in the mid-19th century revolutionized this. Suddenly we see large numbers of images not only from the elite sector of society, but from the middle-class as well.
Daguerreotypes were not cheap, but not nearly as expensive as a painted portrait. Virtually all of the photographs taken were Dags and a sitting might cost $5.00 (1840s). This was a substnatial sum in the 1840s. It mean a quater oz of gold, tioday valued at about $500. This began to change with the appearance of the Ambro and tin-type (1850s). Both reduced the price of a photographic portrait. This is imprtant as the less expensive portrait meant the greater number of images become available and the wider our view of the vpopulatiin becomes available with photography becoming available to lower income Americans. A dag was expensive because a polished meral plate was needed. Eliminating this reduced the price as glass or an inpensive metal sheet were used. (Tin-types did not actually use tin ,but a lacquered iron sheet which is why the resulting portrait is also called a ferrotype.) Then a new photographic process was developed. The price steadilt declinedespecially with the albumen poroces using paper appeared (1860s), bringing down a sitting to one $1.00. This hugely increased who could aford a portait. By the end of the century the working-class could also aford portraits. Dags and Ambros quickly disappeared (early-1860s) after the appearance of the CDV.
Most of the photographic images in the 19th century were studio images, And this was especially true in the mid-19th century when photography first appeared. Taking photographs outside the studio with the early processes was very difficult. Not only because of the bulky equipment, but bcause of the complicated chemical processes. All this made meant that the vast majority of photographs were tsken in the studio.
You not only have to carry arond a bulky camera, but all the plates and chemicals needed. Here a horse and waggon was needed. the with the subjects dressed up in their best or other clothing. Thus to see how children dressed outside the studio, we have to turn to artists and illustrators. Severl indiviuals are important here. None provide more wonderful images than Winslow Homer (1836-1910). He painted several importnt images of children and not only does he porivide images outside the photographic studio, but they are images of ordinay children and not just the rich and well-to-do middle-class. Given Homer's age, one might have thought he would beter represent the late-19th century. But artists are often influenced s to how they depict children by their earlier years. In addition, children fashions on the frontier and rural are did not change as rapidly as city fashion.
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