What Types Of Old Photographs Are There?

The earliest photographs date from the start of the 1850s. The most popular prints are cartes de visite, which were made predominantly between 1859 and 1906. Cabinet cards (first made in 1868), stereographs (first made in 1853) and postcards were also popular.

Cartes de visite are small albumen portraits mounted on cards inscribed on the back with the photographer's details. These are often used to date the photograph and databases of different photographers who operated in specific places at specific times have been compiled. Generally, the simpler the back, the earlier the card.

Cabinet cards are bigger and more formal but usually presented in the same way. Both types are found singly and also collected together in albums. Modern photos date from about 1870 when a gelatine emulsion negative was used to produce multiple prints.

Some old photos were made on glass plates – the negatives more usually but it is also possible to still find some glass photographs!