Figure 1.--The CDV became standard portrait type in the 1860s. Cased Ambros and Dags disappeared after the early-60s. Tin-types continued to be done in smll numbers, but were no longer cased. Here we see a tin-type portait of two American sibling. Notice the girls massive dress skirt. The boy has longish hair commion in the 1850s. This leads us to believe that the portrait was taken in the early-60s. During the 60s, the trend was toward shorter hair cuts. His big sister has the classic center part. Notice th thy are following the photographer's directions to hold their hands still.

Information on fashion increased enormously in the mid-19th century. Photography had become commercially viable by the 1840s with the Daguerotype. This was a major development because while still expensive, was much less expensive than a painting. The tin-types and Ambros which followed them could, however, not be duplicated. They provide styling, but not color details, although thrre were efforts at colorizagion. Furthur advances had made photography much less expensive by the 1860s creating ever increasing numbers of images. The major development was the carte-de-visite in France (late-1850s). At first the Ambrotype was the dominant process (1860). Dags and tin-types were also made, for the most part all done as cased portraits. At the same time the CDV using the albumen process took off. It did not catch on at first, but in 1860 became an enormous hit. Suddenly there is an explosion in the numbers of photographic images. The CDV was quickly embraced in America (early-1860s). The albumen process involved negatives, a huge advantage as copies could then be made at low cost and sent to family and friends. It also was a simpler process and gradually began to be used outside the studio, most notably to create a photographic record of the Civil War. It also created a whole new photographic type--stereoscopic photography. It turns out that the public had a great interest in imagery. Most immediately on the Civil War. But people wanted to see people places and things such as flora and fauna. People until the1860s were starved for imagery. People may have heard about giraffes and elephants, but image a thrill of actually seeing one and at low cost. No middle-class family and now even working-class families could afford a stereo viewer and a collection of cards. Although throughout the 19th century, the vast number of photographs were studio portraits using he albumen process. The cabinet card appeared only a few years after the CDV (1866). And unlike Europe quickly became the standard type of studio portrait. The cabinet cards had mounts done in a classic style. Both CDVs and cabinet cards had standardized sizes because people had albums for them. The tintype was an almost instant process, ideal for both small-scale local and itinerant street photographers. The concept of the fashion magazine arrived in America during this period. While circulation was still limited, fashion information was arriving at the American home as never before. There are numerous American 1860s images posted on HBC. We plan to eventually link them here. One image is a painted photographic portrait. We also note more well-dressed subjects than earlier. We think that this was a reflection of the dynamic American economy as the Industrial Revolution was taking took hold. This was both better paid workers and an expanding middle class. HBC has 1860s pahs on both boys and girls.

Created: 1:54 AM 9/1/2025
Last updated: 1:55 AM 9/1/2025