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Posted 9 months ago
rniederman
(98 items)
This is an early carte de visite (CDV) / phot0-tradecard dating around the mid-1850s to early 1860s. The image can be dated by the camera; btw, which is the largest Roberts Boston-box style daguerrian / wet-plate camera I've ever seen. If this camera and stand were found in reasonable condition, it would have a collector's value of about $20,000.
E.J. Hunt, the photographer depicted on the tradecard, specialized in ambrotypes; a process replacing daguerreotypes that became mainstream in the 1850s. Since the ambrotype created a glass plate negative, for the first time photographers could cost effectively make copies of images.
Cartes-De-VisitesCartes-De-Visites (CDVs), were part of a major shift in the 1860’s from gla…
Wood CamerasEven before the first 19th century cameras were produced, wood was used for…
GREAT image.
Probably early 1860s. Everything that I have read puts the INTRODUCTION of CDVs in the US as late in 1859. I personally have never seen a US CDV that could be substantiated as being from the 1850s.
This image has a very typical backmark which I wouldn't expect on one of the first (1859) images.
scott
Thanks officialfuel, blunderbuss2, kerry10456, and Scott!
Scott ... thanks also for the comment and thoughts - and good point about the backmark. It's one of the things that makes this really interesting. As background, Anthony was importing raw paper from France and Germany and selling it with collodion and chemicals to photographers who did their own albumenizing. By the late 1850s and early 1860s, Anthony was bringing in albumenized paper from Germany. As far as the backmark, I trust your instincts on this. I also tried to search E.J. Hunt on Google but didn't find anything definitive.
Glad to help and THANKS for sharing such a spectacular camera image!
scott
It seems that the advantage of three legs over four in camera stabilisation devices, now universal, was recognised quite early on. This is the earliest example I have seen of a tripodal stand, though there may have been earlier ones that I don't know about. They later became more recognisable as what we would call tripods, though still quite heavy items of furniture.
Thanks walksoftly, Designer, AntigueToys, and Eric.
Eric ... on the topic of stands, it's something I haven't thought about but suspect Simon Wing probably had something - don't really know.
The camera is a treasure, thats for sure and the photograph rocks with the photographer resembling Dr. Diophorus or some other Mad Steam Punk Scientist, magnifico Rob !~
Thanks for the 'loves' vetraio50, musikchoo, chrissylovescats, Sean, egreeley1976 and Longings!
Thanks for the comment, Phil ... yeah ... there is a mad scientist look about the photographer. And I like your sense of humor.
Thanks trukn20 and leighannrn!
my family has some photos taken by e. j. hunt back in nh. when i was a kid, i remember my grandfather throwing box after box of daguerratypes into the trash. it upset me then, and still does today! this is a great photo!
I feel your pain ho2cultcha! Amazingly tragic to loose what were probably great dags. Did any images survive?