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19TH CENTURY PHOTO FRAMES
Until the advent of the photograph in the late 1830's, family likenesses had been the exclusive possession of those who could afford the services of distinguished urban portrait painters and humble folk art portraitists, who moved from town to town in search of their clientelle. The photograph was a much more democratic product, accessible to a vast middle-class market. The frame industry responded, and we are the lucky beneficiaries, as frames manufactured for the 19th Cenutury photo market are still to be had for reasonable prices.The earliest photographs were daguerreotypes, distinguished by their mirrored surfaces and the remarkable clarity of their images. Next came the ambrotype. This method utilized a negative image on a black background, which you can see if you hold the image up against a raking light. Unlike its predecessors, which exist in unique images, the tintype could be produced inexpensively in multiple copies. By the 1850's two photo processes on paper, the small carte de visite and the larger cabinet card, were also making demands on the frame industry.
With the exception of the tintype, which had a flexible format, early photos were standardized, with the frames necessarily following suit: Standard case photo sizes: Whole plate 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches Half plate 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches Quarter plate 3 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches Sixth plate 2 3/4 by 3 1/4 inches Ninth plate 2 by 2 1/2 inches Sixteenth plate 1 3/8 by 1 5/8 inches CDV mounting board 2 1/2 by 4 1/4 inches Cabinet card mounting board 4 1/4 by 6 1/2 inches
A countless variety of wall and tabletop frames exist today that were manufactured to display cabinet cards, popular well into the 1880's. Some of the photos were framed to size; others were enhanced with mats and put into frames with rabbets measuring 8 by 10 inches. As the century progressed, images on paper grew larger--10x12, 11x14, 12x16, 60x20--the same standards we use today.
During the Renaissance Revival the preeminent frame material was solid walnut. The ubiquitous and undervalued Civil War style frame, so-called because of its popularity for framing images of that era, is useful today for framing images of its period. It also works well for contemporary images and makes a great mirror.
Years ago I wrote an article, "Frames for Photographs," about 19th Century American photo frames for Victorian Homes. If you would like a copy, I will be happy to send a one--a black and white copy, alas. The original color photos are wonderful.
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