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Many, if not most, family history researchers will come across early photographs in their travels. The ability to identify such photographs can help establish a date for the photograph and hence for the photo's subject as well. This can often be used to support other evidence in the family's genealogy. Old photographs can also be used to help resurface old memories when interviewing older family members, even if the images are not directly related to the family.

Proper storage and preservation is essential if these valuable resources are to be around for future generations. Photographs that can be copied or scanned should be archived as digital images onto CDROMs for general reference. This reduces the need to handle the original photograph to a minimum. Note that many early photographs are highly collectable. Certain types and subjects can bring hundreds and even thousands of dollars at auction. Though the persistent collector can still find them at the garage sales, flea markets, and small town auctions.

Cased

Daguerreotype - 1839 to 1860, "silvered" copper plate, cover glass

Ambrotype - 1854 to 1865, overexposed glass negatives, black backing

Tintype - 1856 to 1867, black enameled metal, varnished

Paper

Calotype ("Salt") - 1841 to 1862, salted paper negatives, later glass

Albumen Print - 1850 to 1910, printing paper coated with egg whites (albumen)

Carte de Visite - 1854 to 1905, "visiting cards", albumen print mounted to a card

Cabinet Card - 1863 to 1920, basically a larger version of a carte de visite

Stereograph - 1851 to 1925, binocular camera, 3-D stereoscope viewer, very popular amongst Victorians

Autochrome - 1907, first color method using grains of potato starch dyed red, green, and blue-violet

others - 1870's to 1900's, dry-plate, silver print, platinum print

- portraits (formal poses, everyday poses, historical and even postmortem)

- civil war

- town views, buildings

- nature, architectural

- native american

- hand-written notations

- identifying the type of photograph

- costume clues in portraits, architectural details in town views

- tracking down the photographer (via web and print references for activity dates)

- U.S. Internal Revenue tax stamps (dates to 1 Aug 1864 to 1 Aug 1866) (CdV's)

- yourself, and/or other family members

- dealers (antiques, specialty dealers, flea markets)

- paper and photographic collectable shows

- major auctions

- Ebay (search by type or subject, or use category "Photographic Images > Antique (Pre-1940)")

- avoid bright light, widely fluctuating humidity, and extreme temperatures

- avoid "magnetic" and black paper photo albums

- avoid vinyl sleeves like those used for baseball cards

- use archival storage materials (Mylar, polyethylene, polypropylene)

- store sleeved photos in archival file boxes

- frame using acid-free mat boards, and metal frames

- seek restoration and cleaning services only when vitally necessary

- always seek expert advice if you're unsure of how to handle a problem

An Ounce of Preservation : A Guide to the Care of Papers and Photographs by Craig A. Tuttle

Paperback - 111 pages (March 1995) Rainbow Books, Inc.; ISBN: 1568250215 $12.95

Collector's Guide to Early Photographs by O. Henry Mace

Paperback - 224 pages 2nd update edition (March 1999) Krause Publications; ISBN: 0873417208 $19.95

Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs by Maureen A. Taylor

Paperback - 148 pages (January 2000) Betterway Pubns; ISBN: 1558705279 $18.99

series - Images of America, Arcadia Publishing

American Museum of Photography - http://www.photographymuseum.com/

City Gallery - http://www.city-gallery.com/ {history and dating tips}

Museum of Printing and Photography - http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/nadeaul/CollectionNadeau

Light Impressions offers free catalogues, call (800) 828-6216

and on the internet at www.lightimpressionsdirect.com

Generally, vintage photographs that pre-date 1924 are in the public domain and may be reproduced without consent of the photographer/publisher/copyright holder, but you may still want to seek the permission of the subject or his/her descendants if possible.