NYTN Field Guide

The Photo Detective

Date and decode old family photographs using format, fashion, and hidden clues the camera captured

📸 Photo Dating Wizard
Answer a few questions about your photo to narrow down when it was taken
What is the photo printed on?
Is the photo in a hinged case?
Look at the cardboard mount (if any). What shape are the corners?
What does the image surface look like?
Is there any text on the photo or mount?

💡 Pro tip: The physical format gives you a date RANGE. To narrow it further, look at clothing, hairstyles, and studio props in the Fashion Clues and Studio Clues tabs.

Photo Format Identification

The physical format of a photograph — what it's printed on and how it's mounted — is often the fastest way to establish a date range. Each format had a specific era of popularity.

1839 – 1860
Daguerreotype
Mirror-like surface, always in a case
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How to Identify
  • Mirror-like silver surface — you can see your reflection
  • Image shifts from positive to negative at different angles
  • Always in a protective case (leather, wood, or thermoplastic)
  • Brass mat around the image with decorative border
  • Glass cover over the image
What This Means
Daguerreotypes are the earliest commercially available photographs. If your photo is a daguerreotype, the subject was alive between 1839-1860, though the process was most popular in the 1840s-1850s. These are rare and valuable — handle with extreme care.
1854 – 1865
Ambrotype
Glass plate, needs dark backing, in a case
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How to Identify
  • Image on glass — hold it up and you may see through it
  • Requires dark backing (paper, velvet, or dark varnish) to see image
  • No mirror-like reflection (unlike daguerreotype)
  • Usually in a case like daguerreotypes
  • Image doesn't shift positive/negative at angles
What This Means
Ambrotypes were cheaper than daguerreotypes and dominated the late 1850s. Very popular during the Civil War era. If your photo is an ambrotype, the subject was likely photographed between 1855-1865.
1856 – 1930s
Tintype (Ferrotype)
Thin metal plate, no case needed, can be bent
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How to Identify
  • Thin metal plate (iron, not actually tin)
  • Can be bent slightly — it's flexible
  • May show rust at edges
  • Image is on dark metal surface
  • Sometimes in paper sleeves or small cases, often loose
  • Very small "gem" tintypes (1"×1") common
What This Means
Tintypes had an incredibly long run. Peak popularity was 1860s-1890s, but carnival photographers used them into the 1930s. Dating requires looking at fashion and style. Civil War soldiers often had tintypes made — check for uniforms.
1859 – 1910s
Carte de Visite (CDV)
Small cardboard mount, ~2.5" × 4"
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How to Identify
  • Paper photo mounted on cardboard
  • About 2.5" × 4" (size of a business card)
  • Studio name often printed on back or front
  • Square corners early (1860s), rounded corners later (1870s+)
  • Light cardboard early, darker colors later
What This Means
CDVs were the social media of the 1860s — people traded them like baseball cards. Peak popularity: 1860-1880. If the corners are square and the cardboard is light-colored, lean toward 1860s. Rounded corners and darker cardboard suggest 1870s-1880s.
1866 – 1920s
Cabinet Card
Larger cardboard mount, ~4.25" × 6.5"
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How to Identify
  • Larger than CDV — about 4.25" × 6.5"
  • Thick cardboard mount
  • Often elaborate studio information printed on back
  • Square corners early, rounded corners 1880s+
  • Dark/colored cardboard in later years
Dating by Cardboard
1866-1880: Light-colored card, square corners, thin card.
1880-1890: Darker colors appear, rounded corners, thicker card.
1890-1900: Very dark cards (black, maroon), fancy gold printing.
1900-1920: Some return to lighter colors, very ornate backs.
1900 – 1950s
Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)
Postcard back, actual photo (not printed)
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How to Identify
  • Postcard back with space for address and stamp
  • Actual photographic print (not printed ink)
  • Standard postcard size (~3.5" × 5.5")
  • May have photographer's stamp or "AZO," "VELOX," etc.
Dating by Postcard Back
1901-1907: "Undivided back" — address only, no message area.
1907-1915: "Divided back" with line down middle.
1915-1930: White border around image common.
1930s-1950s: Linen texture or glossy finish.

Fashion Clues by Decade

Fashion changed dramatically decade by decade. Sleeves, collars, and hairstyles are your best dating tools. Click a decade to see what to look for.

1850s
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Women
  • Hair parted in center, smoothed over ears
  • Wide, bell-shaped skirts (crinolines)
  • Pagoda sleeves (wide at wrist)
  • High necklines, often with white collar
  • Bonnets with wide brims
Men
  • Frock coats (knee-length)
  • Wide neckties or cravats
  • High shirt collars with points
  • Side-parted hair, sideburns beginning
  • Top hats for formal occasions
1860s
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Women
  • Enormous hoop skirts (peak width mid-decade)
  • Hair in nets or snoods at back of head
  • Coat sleeves (fitted, not wide)
  • Dark colors during Civil War
  • Small hats perched forward on head
Men
  • Sack coats becoming common (shorter, looser)
  • Full beards very popular (Civil War era)
  • Bowties and narrow ties
  • Vests visible under coats
  • Military uniforms common in photos
1870s
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Women
  • Skirts flatten in front, bustle in back begins
  • Hair pulled back, curls or braids at crown
  • Tight bodices, high collars
  • Overskirts, draping, and layers
  • Small hats with feathers and ribbons
Men
  • Three-piece suits common
  • Beards still popular but more groomed
  • Higher, stiffer collars
  • Narrow ties and bowties
  • Derby (bowler) hats appearing
1880s
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Women
  • Extreme bustles (shelf-like, peak 1885-1887)
  • Very tight, long bodices
  • High collars reaching chin
  • Hair in tight curls on forehead ("fringe")
  • Small hats, worn high on head
Men
  • Suits with matching fabric throughout
  • Celluloid collars (very stiff, very high)
  • Mustaches without beards popular
  • Four-in-hand ties appearing
  • Derby hats very common
1890s
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Women
  • LEG-OF-MUTTON SLEEVES (huge at shoulder, tight below elbow)
  • This is THE identifier for 1893-1897
  • Bustles gone, skirts A-line
  • Hair piled high ("Gibson Girl" begins)
  • Large hats with feathers and flowers
Men
  • Sack suits dominate
  • High starched collars continue
  • Clean-shaven faces becoming fashionable
  • Ties wider at bottom (ascots, four-in-hand)
  • Straw boater hats in summer
1900s
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Women
  • S-bend corset (pigeon breast, swayed back)
  • High lace collars
  • Pompadour hairstyle (huge, piled high)
  • Enormous hats (wide brims, loaded with decoration)
  • Trumpet skirts (fitted hips, flared hem)
Men
  • High stiff collars continue
  • Clean-shaven or neat mustaches
  • Three-piece suits standard
  • Watch chains visible
  • Fedoras and derbies
1910s
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Women
  • Hobble skirts (narrow at ankles, hard to walk)
  • Softer silhouette, less rigid corsets
  • Hair softer, fuller around face
  • Large hats continue but simpler by 1915
  • WWI: shorter skirts, practical clothing
Men
  • Collars slightly lower
  • Suit jackets shorter
  • WWI military uniforms common
  • Clean-shaven standard
  • Flat caps popular
1920s
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Women
  • Dropped waistlines (at hips, not waist)
  • Bobbed hair (short, often with finger waves)
  • Cloche hats (tight, helmet-shaped)
  • Shorter skirts (knee-length by mid-decade)
  • Straight, boyish silhouette
Men
  • Soft collars standard
  • Wide-leg "Oxford bags" trousers
  • Hair slicked back with pomade
  • Clean-shaven
  • Fedoras and straw hats

💡 The one-decade rule: If you see leg-of-mutton sleeves, it's 1893-1897. If you see a bobbed haircut and cloche hat, it's the 1920s. These are unmistakable markers that lock in your date range.

Military Uniform Decoder

Military photos can be dated by uniform details — button styles, collar designs, and insignia changed with each war. Here are the major eras.

1861 – 1865
Civil War (Union & Confederate)
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Union Uniforms
  • Dark blue wool coat (sack coat or frock coat)
  • Brass buttons — eagle design
  • Kepi hat (flat-topped cap with short visor)
  • Sky blue trousers
  • Branch identified by hat insignia: crossed rifles (infantry), crossed sabers (cavalry), crossed cannons (artillery)
Confederate Uniforms
  • Gray or butternut (tan/brown) wool
  • Often homemade or irregular — not standard
  • Brass buttons with state seal or "CS"
  • Kepi or slouch hat (floppy brim)
  • Much less uniform than Union
USCT (U.S. Colored Troops)
African American soldiers wore standard Union uniforms. Over 180,000 Black men served. USCT photos are historically significant — note any regiment numbers or insignia for identification.
1866 – 1890s
Indian Wars / Frontier Army
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Key Identifiers
  • Dark blue wool blouse with 5 buttons
  • Kepi or campaign hat (wide brim)
  • Yellow piping = cavalry, light blue = infantry
  • Often photographed with weapons or frontier settings
  • Buffalo Soldier units (Black cavalry and infantry) served extensively
1898
Spanish-American War
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Key Identifiers
  • Dark blue wool OR khaki/brown cotton (tropical issue)
  • Campaign hat with cord (Montana Peak style)
  • Very short war — photos are rare
  • Rough Riders wore khaki with polka-dot bandanas
1917 – 1918
World War I
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Key Identifiers
  • Olive drab wool uniform (greenish-brown)
  • High collar ("choker" style) — distinctive!
  • Campaign hat (drill) or "doughboy" helmet (overseas)
  • Wrap leggings (puttees) around lower legs
  • Breast pockets with flaps
  • Collar discs showing branch and regiment
The High Collar
The stand-up "choker" collar is the giveaway for WWI. It buttoned up to the throat. By WWII, collars were folded down like a regular shirt. If you see a high choker collar, it's WWI.
1941 – 1945
World War II
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Key Identifiers
  • Olive drab wool (winter) or khaki cotton (summer)
  • FOLD-DOWN collar (not high choker like WWI)
  • "Ike jacket" (short waist-length) late war
  • Garrison cap ("envelope" or "overseas" cap)
  • Shoulder patches showing division
  • Shirt and tie visible under jacket
Branch Identification
Army Air Forces: Wings on chest, often leather jackets.
Navy: Navy blue or white, sailor collar, "Dixie cup" hat.
Marines: Similar to Army but with globe-and-anchor insignia.
WAC/WAVES: Women's uniforms — similar cut to men's with skirts.

💡 Quick test: Look at the collar. High and buttoned to throat = WWI. Folded down with visible tie = WWII. This single detail will correctly sort 90% of 20th century military photos.

Studio Clues

Portrait studios used specific backdrops, props, and poses that changed over time. These details can help narrow your date range.

Painted Backdrops
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What to Look For
  • 1860s-1870s: Plain backgrounds, simple drapes
  • 1880s: Painted nature scenes (mountains, lakes)
  • 1890s: Elaborate interior scenes (columns, windows)
  • 1900s-1910s: Very ornate with furniture, potted plants
  • 1920s+: Simpler, often plain or art deco geometric
Studio Props
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Common Props by Era
  • Balustrade/column: 1860s-1890s classic
  • Rustic fence: 1880s-1890s
  • Ornate chair with tassels: 1870s-1890s
  • Potted palm: 1890s-1910s
  • Wicker furniture: 1900s-1920s
  • Books or reading materials: Throughout (intellectual status)
  • Bicycles: 1890s-1900s fad
  • Automobiles: 1900s-1920s (real or prop)
Poses & Arrangement
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Pose Evolution
  • 1840s-1860s: Very rigid, formal (long exposure times)
  • 1860s-1870s: Standing with hand on chair or column
  • 1880s-1890s: More relaxed, some seated poses
  • 1890s-1900s: Profiles become fashionable
  • 1900s-1910s: Head-and-shoulder "vignette" style
  • 1920s+: Much more casual, candid feeling
Hidden Supports
Early photos required long exposure times. Look for posing stands (metal rods supporting the head) or the subject leaning on something. These supports indicate 1860s-1880s when exposures were still several seconds long.
Children & Babies
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Hidden Mother Photos
In the 1860s-1890s, mothers were often hidden under drapes or behind furniture to hold babies still during long exposures. Look for odd lumps under fabric, an extra hand, or a covered figure holding the child. This is NOT a ghost — it's mom!
  • Boys in dresses: Normal until age 4-6 through the 1920s
  • Post-mortem photos: Common 1840s-1880s, look for closed eyes, unnatural poses
  • Toys and props: More common after 1880s when exposure times shortened
Studio Imprints
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Reading the Back
  • Studio name and city can be searched in city directories
  • Check dates the photographer was active at that address
  • Ornate typography = 1880s-1890s
  • Art nouveau designs = 1890s-1910s
  • "Kodak" processing marks = 1890s+
  • Street address without zip codes = before 1963
Research Tip
Search the photographer's name in historical city directories (many on Ancestry.com) to find what years they operated at that specific address. This can narrow your date to within a few years.
African American Photos
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Special Considerations
  • Pre-1865: Could be enslaved or free — context matters
  • Freedmen's era (1865-1880): First professional portraits for many families
  • Black-owned studios: James P. Ball, the Goodridge Brothers — research their work
  • Segregated studios: Note if studio served Black clients specifically
  • USCT photos: Civil War military service records can identify soldiers
Dating Clues
All the same format/fashion rules apply. But also note: post-Civil War photos often show deliberate displays of literacy (books), prosperity (fine clothing), and freedom (family groupings). These were powerful statements.
Every photograph is a time capsule. The format tells you the decade. The fashion narrows the year. The studio clues tell you the place. Put them together, and you can place an ancestor at a specific moment in history — even without a name written on the back.
@NYTN • Genealogy Field Guide Series