Figure 1.--The first photographic portaits had indoor sets which continued through the 1860s. By the 1870sm outdoor sets become popular. These unidentified brothers were photographed on a rural set with a split-rail fence. The rural set is in sharp contrast to their fancy Little Lord Fauntleroy sets. The portrait was dated 1893.

Outdoor 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 this can be helpful in dating the portraits. Fams scenes were popular. Interesting while we see farm scenes like fences or pehaps a small home in the background, we do not see farm life style depicted or the boys dressed up in farm clothes. Rather they wear fancy outfits like Little e Lord Fauntleriy suits that they would never have worn on the farm, at least for day to day wear. Split rail fences like the ones associated with Abraham Lincoln were very common. Landscaping features might convey rural scenses. There were also classical settings 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 Americans in the 19th century. Vacationers liked to have portraits done with these settings. America was rapidly industrialing and urbanizing in the late-19th century. 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.

Rural / Farm Scenes

Interesting while we see farm scenes like fences or pehaps a small home in the background. The early formats were almost always in dor sets. Gradully we begin to see sets that portray outdoor scenes. We do not see farm life style depicted or the boys dressed up in farm clothes. Rather they are dressed to the nines--wearing fancy outfits like Little e Lord Fauntleriy suits that they would never have worn on the farm, at least for day to day wear. So perhaps these are better seen as rural scenes. Perhaps the labor associate with farm life was not as appealing as the rural memories. And of course the status was not as high. Split rail fences like the ones associated with Abraham Lincoln were very common. Landscaping features might convey rural scenes. Rural areas including farm scenes or nature scenes like rivers, lakes, and mountains. America was rapidly industrialing and urbanizing in the late-19th centy. Much of the population had rural roots and had nostalgic attachments to rapidly disapearing 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. The one we see here was dated 1893 (figure 1).

Classical / Garden Settings

There were also classical settings like might be found on a country estate, items like balistrades, follies,sculptured walls, and pillars. This might be done in a setting with plants and flowers. We see relaistic sets at first and then more dreammu wistfull settings. These sets wre un harp contrat to the nostlgic farm/rural settings. The clasical/garden settings were more asperatiinal. Clients were likely to come from verymodest rural backgrounds and lived their when young. The classical / garden settings eem more a view as how rich people lived and reflected a deire to live in estates with beautiful gardens. This was another very popular outdoor set. These kike the rural settings are outdoors with aiuchbof nature, but the impression is more of well-tended garden on a country estate. Here we nay have a yen for grenery from city dwealers who rarely see grass and trees on an estate, not an ordinary rural scene. This was of course all before the move to the suburbs. We are not sure about the chrinology yet, but know this was a popular choice in the 1890s.

Resort Areas

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 and by the end of the century, the family vacation was beginning to become a popular activity. The railroads and industrilization all played into creating the idea of the vaction .

Created: 1:40 AM 3/24/2015
Last updated: 3:07 PM 3/26/2015