My 3rd great grandmother was born in 1816; more than 2 centuries ago. There's no doubt she grew up in a very different world from my own. Here, I work in the entertainment industry; a business borne from cameras, negatives, film, and of course, the storytellers who used those tools to capture a moment in time.
My ancestor's life began the same year Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used the camera obscura to produce images on photosensitive paper for the first time. It would still be another decade before he managed to create a permanent image, and another 10+ years before Louis Daguerre patented a method for capturing images on metal (aptly named the daguerrotype).
My predecessor, Louisa Fanny Wilcox, would be in for a fanciful treat just about the time she reached her prime years. Just imagine having only ever seen your own likeness in a mirror, and then, like magic, you could freeze that image of yourself and turn it into an everlasting memory and keepsake! She clearly took advantage of this fun, new novelty, and the proof is miraculously extant. This is a framed daguerrotype of my great, great, great grandmother.
The photograph is one of, if not, the oldest in my personal family collection on my father's side. Louisa grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles outside Philadelphia. The first daguerrotype studio opened in New York City in 1840. Louisa's marriage to my 3rd great grandfather, Orlin Oliver Hinman, took place the following year in May of 1841. That is also the year a pair of German immigrant brothers, William and Frederick Langenheim, opened their Philadelphia studio. If Louisa sat for this image around that time, her portrait would certainly be a pioneering effort. However, the photo likely dates to some years following, despite Louisa not posing alongside her husband.
The photo is held in its original casing and frame (or so it is assumed). I currently have it in my care, having received it from my paternal aunt. She likely took possession of it following the passing of her maternal aunt, Fanny Louise (Hinman) Stephenson, in 1955. Louisa Fanny was Fanny Louise's grandmother, and the two women were in each other's lives for nearly 30 years. Louisa had been living in the same house as Fanny for the final year of her life, so it's probable Fanny inherited the photo of Louisa directly from her grandmother or took ownership of it after she died.
I've recently begun reading through Maureen Taylor's updated book, Family Photo Detective, to study up on more of the history of photography, but also to learn how to better analyze pictures in my ancestral collection. I would love to extrapolate further clues from the hundreds (or possibly thousands) of photographs I've inherited from both sides of my family, starting with Louisa's daguerrotype.
In Taylor's book, on page 17, she has published a worksheet to help one examine and document the many details that are possible to extract from simply looking at an image. Below, I've expanded and augmented her worksheet to suit my needs while inspecting the daguerrotype of my 3rd great grandmother, Louisa.
SUBJECT: LOUISA FANNY (WILCOX) HINMAN
TITLE/CAPTION (FRONT OR BACK): N/A
TYPE OF IMAGE: DAGUERROTYPE
ORIGINAL OR COPY: ORIGINAL
DATE OF IMAGE: UNCONFIRMED, CIRCA 1850-1855
REASON FOR IMAGE: UNKNOWN, BUT BETWEEN MARCH 1849-SEPTEMBER 1851, LOUISA SUFFERED THE LOSS OF THREE CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS (HER 5 YEAR-OLD SON ALBERT AND BOTH HER PARENTS), SO THIS MAY HAVE BEEN HER SITTING IN MOURNING CONSIDERING THE DARK ATTIRE WORN (AND IF SO, THIS WOULD GIVE A SMALLER TIME FRAME FOR THE DATE OF THE IMAGE, POSSIBLY ABOUT THE YEAR 1851)
CONDITION: FAIR
WHEREABOUTS OF NEGATIVE: N/A
SIZE (H x W / THICKNESS): IMAGE IS APPROX. 3" H x 2 1/2" W (THE MOST COMMON DAG IS A SIXTH-PLATE APPROX. 3 1/4" H x 2 3/4" W; CASE IS 3 5/8" H x 3 1/8" W; CASE CLOSED IS JUST OVER 1/2" THICK; SUBSTANTIAL IN WEIGHT (BUT DO NOT HAVE SCALE FOR ACCURATE MEASUREMENT)
MOUNTED/FRAMED: MOUNTED AND FRAMED IN A PROTECTIVE WOOD CASE WITH ORNATE DESIGN SEALED ON FRONT AND BACK THAT MAY BE LEATHER BUT FEELS LIKE AND RESEMBLES COPPER TILE (WOOD-FRAMED CASES WERE POPULAR IN THE '40S AND '50S BEFORE BEING REPLACED BY "UNION CASES" THAT USED THERMOPLASTIC); DESIGN INCLUDES AN OVAL CIRCLE IN CENTER WITH TWO ROSES AND ANOTHER FLOWER SIMILAR TO A DAISY IN IT (ACCORDING TO TAYLOR, THE ROSE MOTIF HAD AT LEAST 30 VARIATIONS BETWEEN 1844 AND 1850), SURROUNDED BY ANOTHER OVAL DESIGN THAT IS NOT A SMOOTH CIRCLE BUT BRACKETED WITH A CROSS-STITCHED OR PLAID PATTERN WITHIN IT, IN EACH OF THE FOUR CORNERS THERE ARE CLUB-LIKE SHAPES, AND MANY FLOURISHES SURROUNDING IT ALL, AND THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF GOLD LEAF ON A PART OF ONE BORDER THAT HAS WORN AWAY DUE TO TIME; THE CASE IS BROKEN INTO TWO SEPARATE PIECES - FRONT AND BACK - BUT THE LOCK AND HOOK CLASP STILL REMAINS INTACT ON EACH PIECE MID-WAY DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CASE; THE FRONT COVER NO LONGER HAS THE BOTTOM PIECE OF WOOD FRAMING AND IS PADDED WITH A GARNET VELVET MATERIAL WITH AN EMBOSSED DESIGN OF FLOURISHES AROUND ITS BORDER AND A PEACOCK BIRD SEATED IN ITS CENTER FACING AWAY FROM VIEWER AND TAIL FEATHERS NOT FANNED APART (NATURE SUBJECTS LIKE THE PEACOCK WERE POPULAR IN THE VELVET DESIGNS IN THE 1840S); AT TOP CENTER OF THE VELVET PADDING IS FLOURISHING THAT ALMOST LOOKS TO BE STAMPED INITIALS OF "ONC" OR "DAC" BUT IS LIKELY JUST THE DESIGN; ALONG THE WOOD FRAMED BORDER ON BOTH FRONT AND BACK COVER IS A SCALLOPED DESIGN IN GOLD LEAF WHICH HAS FADED MORE SEVERELY IN SOME PARTS THAN OTHERS; ON THE IMAGE'S PANEL, SEATED WITHIN THE WOOD FRAME IS A BORDER OF TAN VELVET AND SEATED WITHIN THAT IS AN ORNATE BRASS EDGEING PRESERVER (PRESERVERS WERE FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1847 AND HAD REINFORCED CORNERS BY THE LATE 1850S TO PREVENT BREAKAGE) HOLDING THE COVER GLASS IN PLACE OVER A BRASS MAT WHICH IS SCALLOPED IN A NONPAREIL STYLE AND STAMPED OR PERFORATED AROUND THE SUBJECT'S PORTRAIT (NONPAREIL MATS BECAME MORE POPULAR IN 1845 TO EARLY 1850S AND SMOOTHER SURFACES WITH SOME ENGRAVING BEGAN IN THE 1850S); THERE ARE MINIMAL BLACK DOTTED SMUDGES THAT MAY BE SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE MAT AND THE GLASS
COLORING DETAILS: BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE THAT HAS TARNISHED DUE TO AGEING AND ENVIRONMENT LEAVING A HALO EFFECT AROUND MAIN SUBJECT'S HEAD OF YELLOW AND RED COLORING
IDENTIFYING MARKS: NONE OBVIOUSLY APPARENT BUT DOES HAVE SMALL BULLET-POINT LIKE FRACTURED GLASS AT LOWER CENTER OF IMAGE UNDER CLOSE INSPECTION
PHOTOGRAPHER'S NAME/LOCATION: UNKNOWN
PHOTOGRAPHER'S DATES OF OPERATION: UNKNOWN
PHOTOGRAPHER'S IMPRINT: N/A
SUBJECT DESCIPTION: APPEARS YOUTHFUL WITH SOME ADDED PINK COLORING TO CHEEKS BY PHOTOGRAPHER; NO WRINKLES OR SKIN BLEMISHES; THIN PURSED LIPS THAT HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF DRYNESS; LIGHT-COLORED IRISES THAT ARE LIKELY BLUE OR SILVER IN COLOR WITH SHORT EYELASHES (MORE THAN LIKELY BLUE LIKE HER DESCENDANTS' EYES), PARTIAL TOP EYELIDS SHOWING, BUT NO VISIBILITY OF BROWS ALONG THE EYE RIDGE; NOSE WITH DOWNWARD SLOPE AND NO REMARKABLE FEATURES OF NOTE
COSTUME DESCRIPTION: SUBJECT IS IN DARK COLORED DRESS (PRESENTING AS BLACK IN PHOTOGRAPH) WITH LIGHT-COLORED OR WHITE 3-4" COLLAR POSSIBLY LACE WITH SCALLOPED EDGES DRAPING OVER SHOULDERS (DATING 1840S-1860S); IT IS LOOSE-FITTING BUT CLOSE TO SHOULDERS WITH BISHOP SLEEVES (DATING 1850S-1860S) AND THOUGH OBSTRUCTED BY BOTTOM OF IMAGE MAY HAVE LOOSE CUFFS AROUND WRISTS THAT POSSIBLY FAN OUT IN A PLEATED LACE PATTERN; A DOUBLE CREASE OR FOLD IS PRESENT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE BODICE FROM THE NAVEL TO THE NECKLINE WHERE A SMALL HORIZONTAL CIRCULAR BROOCH SITS; THE GOWN IS NOT SHOWN BELOW THE WAIST LINE; SUBJECT'S HAIR IS PARTED DOWN CENTER WITH SOME SLIGHT CRIMPING SHOWN ALONG FRAMING OF FOREHEAD, AND IS HELD UP IN A SHORT STYLE JUST ABOUT 2" BELOW THE EARLOBE AND KEEPING UP AND OFF THE NAPE OF THE NECK WITH LIGHT-COLORED FABRIC OF SOME SORT HOLDING IT BACK (DATING LATE 1840S-EARLY 1850S)
COSTUME TIME FRAME: CIRCA 1840-1860S
PROPS/BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION: N/A
PROVENANCE OF IMAGE: LOUISA FANNY (WILCOX) HINMAN > LIKELY TO FANNY LOUISE (HINMAN) STEPHENSON > LIKELY TO SANDRA LEA (FOLTZ) VALLO > KIRA DAWN FOLTZ
OTHER INFORMATION: KEPT WITHIN THE CASE IS A SMALL PIECE OF DISCOLORED PAPER WITH A CREASE DOWN CENTER DUE TO BEING FOLDED UPON ITSELF, AND ON THE INSIDE FOLD IS WRITTEN 'LOUISA WILCOX' IN CURSIVE IN PENCIL AND ON THE OUTSIDE FOLD IS WRITTEN 'LOUISA WILCOX HINMAN' AT TOP AND 'FRANK HINMAN'S MOTHER' AT BOTTOM IN CURSIVE PENCIL LIKELY IN SAME HAND, AND IN BETWEEN IN BLUE PEN IN CURSIVE IS 'GRANDMOTHER HINMAN FATHERS MOTHER'; THE BLUE INK WAS LIKELY SCRIBBLED BY EITHER ETHEL (HINMAN) EGGENBERGER OR FANNY LOUISE (HINMAN) STEPHENSON WHO WERE BOTH GRANDDAUGHTERS OF THE SUBJECT, AND THE PENCIL WAS LIKELY SCRIBBLED BY MY AUNT SANDRA (FOLTZ) VALLO WHEN SHE CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE PHOTO AND WANTED TO CLARIFY LOUISA'S IDENTITY AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FAMILY TREE
Maureen Taylor, well known as The Photo Detective, has also often recommended taking note of where or how a photograph sits amongst other photos, family heirlooms, or ephemera. Studying a photograph in the context of its companions may be critical in determining its age, subject, chain of custody, or other factors.
In the case of Louisa's daguerrotype image, my aunt delivered it to me via post in an old cardboard box. On the outside of the box, she wrote TINTYPES. Within said box were a few other encased photographs (likely tintypes, and possibly an ambrotype, but I have further studying to do to confirm that) as well as a sterling silver sewing thimble. The other (let's call them) tintypes mostly appear to date from the 1850s and '60s. One of them is substantially smaller in size than the rest and came from a different branch of the family entirely. Three of them are all similar in size, two of which (including Louisa's) I can guarantee came from the Hinman branch of the family. I am nearly certain the third did as well, but I have not yet identified the subject. All of the cases, save for that one, include handwritten notes inside naming who they were of.
I have come nowhere close to perfecting the analysis of historic photography and can only hope my observations thus far are accurate. However, I will gladly accept any input from readers who are keen to contribute their expertise, whether that be on dating Louisa's fashion sense and hairstyling or offering up little-known knowledge on studios local to her place and era in time.
Here are examples of images I've found on the internet that share commonalities with Louisa's photo:
Please comment with any help you could offer!
Sources:
https://www.daguerre.org/FAQ
https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-collodion-positive-ambrotype/
http://www.photosmadeperfect.com/Hairstyles%20From%201840%20to%201960.htm
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1404080/portrait-of-a-young-woman-photograph-anson-rufus/
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?id_person=AUTH341772
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/gorgeous-young-woman-rufus-anson-york-1929694517
https://www.morninggloryantiques.com/imagesAC/Access/acc33526b.jpg
https://www.rubylane.com/item/509985-003567/Cased-6TH-Plate-White-Dog-Tintype
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469721855/young-lady-poised-in-fan-front-gown
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/antebellum-daguerreotypeleather-cased-image-ca-1840s-1850s-pre-civil-war-celestial-images.html?product=art-print
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