Figure 1.--These boys were from from Saargemünd or St. Avold. (The photographer had two studios.) Both towns are located in Lorraine. Historians relate how the German seizure of Alsace-Loraine in the Franco Prussian War (1870-71) became a major national issue with the French people, poisoning relations with Germany and eventually leading to World War I. Less well studied is how the people in Alsace and Loraine felt about becoming German. The boy here looks to us to be quite proud to be German, holding a banner in the imperial colors. We don't know just who he was. Perhaps his parents were the Germans recruited to Germanize the population. or perhaps his parents were part of the local population before Germany annexed it. Saargemünd and St. Avold are situated just next to the modern German border. The portrait looks to have been taken during the 1890s. The card mount style was popular in the 1880s and early 90s, but the boy's short-length knee pants look more like the 1890s than the 80s to us. Notice the dark blue color and gilded edges.

Cabinent card borders are quite a complicated topic. Various color borders appeared over time and their were variations in with. The variations here are so complicated that it is a bit difficult to sort out. Some authors have described these trends over time. There may have been variations from country to country which furrther complicates the issue. Many of the cabinent cards we have archived are Ameican, but we notice comparable styles and trends in Europe. Actually the various styles may have originated in Europe. Red or gold rule borders (single and double lines) were popular from the beginning to about 1880. Wide gold borders were only seen about 1884-85, but gold beveled edges were popular about 1885-92. Rounded corner rule with a single line were popular 1889-96. Metallic green or gold impressed borders were briefly populat during 1890-92. There were impressed outer border, without color during 1896.

Importance

abinent card borders are quite a complicated topic. Various color borders appeared over time and their were variations in with. The variations here are so complicated that it is a bit difficult to sort out. White complicated, understanding these variations can help date these portraits.Some authors have described these trends over time.

Origins

There may have been variations from country to country which furrther complicates the issue. Many of the cabinent cards we have archived are Ameican, but we notice comparable styles and trends in Europe. Actually the various styles may have originated in Europe. Fashions in the 19th century were still largely set in Europe. We are unsure as to what country dominated here. One would assume it was either Britain, Gwrmany, or France.

Border Styles

We note several different border styles.

Rules

Red or gold rule borders (single and double lines) were popular in America from the beginning to about 1880.

Guilding

We note cabinent cards with gilded edges or borders. Wide gilded borders in America were only seen about 1884-85, but gold beveled edges were popular according to one source over a wider time span, about 1885-92. They were often done with a dark colored mount (blue, brown, and green). Rounded corner rule with a single line were popular 1889-96. A German card mount expert writes, "I would date the portrait into the 1880s, maybe the late 1880s. And I can't exclude the possibility of the early 90s. This dark cardboard with lots of gold was fashionable in Germany during the the 1880s. Some sources say even until the mid-90s. I specialize in collecting dated images. All my German studio portraits in this style are dated in the 1880s to 1890, starting from 1883." We have noted many of these gold border cards done in dark green, but other colors were also used. We have also noted black, red, and white. We note Austrian cabinent cards with borders similar to those on CDVs. A good example is a portrait of two Vienna brothers in 1888. It was not done with a colored background.

Impressed Borders

Metallic green or gold impressed borders were briefly popular in America during 1890-92. There were impressed outer border, without color during 1896.

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Created: 12:18 PM 12/7/2006
Last updated: 7:39 AM 1/23/2009