Figure 1.--You can tell this is an early CDV becaise there is not studio infotmation oin thre fronr. The fact that there is studio information (A. Robertson in Glasgow) stamped on the back suggests to us that it is probably an 1860s CDV, perhaps the mid-60s. Fashion experts more kmowledgeable about women's fashions might be able to be more precise. The photographer was not verry talented. Mother and son are photographeed as if thhy were strangers.

The CDV first appeared (mid-1850s), but did not become popular for some time. The CDV was invented in France. It is only gradually that we begin to see substantial numbers (1860s). This occurred at about the same time in America, Britain, and France. We are not exactly sure why the CDV was not immediately popular or why it suddenly becam popular. But in Scotland like all countries including France), there are vert few CDVs from the 1850s and suddenly quite a number from the 1860s. Early CVDVs are easy to spot because they do not have any of the studio information on the frontthat became so common as wse see here (figure 1). Rather there was no studio ibforanmtion or it was stamped on the bank in ink. This is not absolutely true, but is a very good chrnological indicator. It is also vital in identifying where these photographs are from. Almost laways we have no information as to provinance except the stydio infotmation. And the style of the studio information is also helpful in dating the CDV. Most of the portraits we have found through the 1870s were CDVs. We do not know why CDVs persisted longer in Scotland and England than in America. The same was true of Europe generally. We continue to find CDV examples into the 1890s while it had largely gone out of style in many other countries. We are not yet sure about the 1900s, but suspect there were still a few.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Dresss] [Sailor suits] [Sailor hats] [Buster Brown suits] [Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores]

Created: 1:15 AM 12/26/2021
Last updated: 1:15 AM 12/26/2021