** United States photographic industry dating photographs studio sets props








Dating Portraits: Studio Sets and Props


Figure 1.--This 1896 New York cabinet card mount basicallt has the look of the classic mounts, but some of the features of the new style mounts, including the grey color and the framing lines. Note the white whicker chair. We see a lot of this white whicker furniture in cabinet card portraits after the turn of the centuty. They are thus a very good date indicator. This 1896 porrait here is the earliest use of white whicker we have seen so far. There may have been earlier ones, but we don't think they were very common. We also see this whicker furniture in Europe. Notice the plants and drapery in the backdrop,

Another useful indicator are the studio props. Here the props can help date all the different portrait types. So it is best just to talk about the props in general and not in connecttion with the just the indfividual portrait types. The most elaborate props and sets, however, were done for cabinet card pprtraits. There are different kinds of props. Furniture set up in the sitting area as particularly helpful. We note Dags and Ambros with fabric-covered tabel (1840s-50s). Many CDVs and cabinet cards show have tasseled furniture (1870s-80s). It was not as common in CDVs which were more common in the 1860s. And we do not see it in the postcard back portraits that appear after the turn-of-the 20th century. Here we are still working on the precise chronology. Then we begin see whicker furnitute (1890s-1900s). White whicker furniture became very popular (1900s). We notice basic white furniture, inclusing white whicker. This we have noted as early as 1896, but it seems most common in the early-20th century (1900s). Art deco furniture becomes popular (1920s-30s). There were a range of landscaping props like trees, fences, pillars, and other such items. America was rapidly industrialing and urbanizing in the late-19th centy. Much of the population had rural roots and had nostalgic attachments to rural America. Thus many liked rural sets. These varied over time and can help date the portraits. These seem most common in the 1870s and 80s and were very common items. We also notice drapery which seems especially popular in the 1860s. We see a lot of CDVs with drapery. There were also props given to the children to hold or play with like bicycles. Here we are not yet sure about the chrnological connotations.

Furniture

Furniture set up in the sitting area as particularly helpful. The first portraits were set inside with furniture. Early photo formats. Gradually we see more laborate sets meant to portray parlors and libraries. Furniture styles change over time as well as there use in sets so it can also provide helpful dating tools. We note Dags and Ambros with fabric-covered tabel (1840s-50s). This was no longer very common by the time cabinet cards appeared (1866). Many CDVs and cabinet cards show have tasseled furniture (1870s-80s). It was not as common in CDVs which were more common in the 1860s. And we do not see it in the postcard back portraits that appear after the turn-of-the 20th century. Here we are still working on the precise chronology. Then we begin see whicker furnitute (1890s). At first it was natural color whicker. The whicker chair here is a good example )figure 1). White whicker furniture appeared in the late-1890s. A good example is two Pennsylvania brothers in 1897. White whicker furniture became very popular (1900s). We notice basic white furniture, inclusing white whicker in the 1890s. But it becomes most common in the early-20th century and was often white (1900s). Art deco furniture becomes popular (1920s-30s).

Landscaping

Landscaping sets were very popular. There were a range of landscaping props like trees, fences, walls, and other such items. The popularity of these various sets varied over time and tgis can be helpful in dating the portraits. Split rail fences lik the ones associated with Abraham Lincoln were very common. Landscaping features might convey rural scenses. There were also classical sttings like might be found on a country estate, items like follies and pillars. Rural areas including farm scenes or nature scenes like rivers, lakes, and mountains. Resort areas might have beach or coastal scenes. Urban scenes were as far as we can tell never used. The sets chosen by clients provide an intreting insight into frame of mind of Amerians in the 19th century. Vacationers liked to have portraits done with these settings. America was rapidly industrialing and urbanizing in the late-19th centy. Much of the population had rural roots and had nostalgic attachments to rapidly disapeearing rural America. Thus many liked rural sets. These varied over time and can help date the portraits. These seem most common in the 1870s and 80s and were very common items.

Drapery

We also notice drapery which seems especially popular in the 1860s. We see a lot of CDVs with drapery. And drapery was often used in early cabinet cards. We mostly se this in the 1860s and 70s, but had larely disappeared by the 1880s. Drapery did not, however disappear entirky a can be seen by this 1896 cabinet card (figure 1). .

Childen's Props

There were also props given to the children to hold or play with like bicycles. Here we are not yet sure about the chrnological connotations.








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Created: 3:52 AM 7/3/2012
Last updated: 8:52 PM 4/27/2015