I was shown a photograph of someone’s ancestor – and the owner of the photo assured me that it a picture of her 3rd great-grandfather taken in 1825. The gentleman was wearing denim bib overalls. A quick check on Google.com indicates that one-piece bib overalls date from the 1850s. More importantly, photography itself was not ‘invented’ until 1835 and was not widely available in the U.S. until after 1840.
Perhaps the photograph owner was just mistaken about the date – although he stated that this great-grandfather died in 1829. So if this picture is ‘impossible,’ we need to identify the correct person wearing the overalls.
Photography, like cemeteries, tools, and families, have ‘history.’ Daguerreotypes were the first ‘photos’ available in the U.S. from about 1839. They have a mirror like surface best viewed at a 45-degree angle. Ambrotypes, photos developed directly onto glass, came next. There is no paper print. Then came tintypes which were developed onto iron plates.
Do not try to take apart the ornate gold-colored case. You will damage the image – perhaps destroy it! You can try to photograph the photo or scan it. Store these early images away from direct light and in stable temperature and humidity levels. No basement or attic storage for these delicate pieces of history.
So how will you identify the image itself? First look carefully at the clothing the subjects are wearing. Compare their clothes and hairstyles to published books such as Family Photo Detective by Maureen A. Taylor or Dressed For The Photographer by Joan L. Severa. Either book showcases what was common in clothing and hairstyles for the period.
Don’t forget Google.com to discover the history of toasters, farm implements and cameras. There’s always more to discover.
~ Carol Cooke Darrow, CG, teaches free Beginning Genealogy classes at the Central Denver Public Library on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10 am – noon.