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Terms of Historical Photography
There are certain terms used throughout this website that may or may not be familiar to the public.
Consequently, definitions for some of the photographs have been provided.
- Albumen Paper
Albumen paper was introduced in 1855. It was popular in the United States from 1860 to 1890. Albumen is literally a coating of egg whites that contains sodium chloride and provides a luster to the surface of the photograph. After the albumen was applied to the surface of thin, smoothed-surface paper, silver nitrate was applied to react with the sodium chloride. This process formed a light-sensitive silver chloride. Photographers usually purchased the paper already treated. During the course of the popularity of albumen paper, millions of eggs were used annually in its production.
- Ambrotype
The glass Ambrotype was introduced in 1854 and remained popular until about 1865. It was easier and cheaper to produce than daguerreotypes. An ambrotype is a wet collodion negative on glass with a dull black surface behind the negative, which creates a positive image.
- Backmarks
Photographers printed their names and addressed on the back of their early photographs. These are known as “backmarks,” and were used as an inexpensive way of advertisement.
- Boudoir Card
An albumen print mounted on a 5 ¼ x 8 ½ piece of cardboard is a boudoir card.
- Cabinet Cards
An albumen print mounted on a 4 ½ x 6 ½ piece of cardboard is a Cabinet card.
- Carte de viste
An albumen print mounted on a 4 ¼ x 2 ½ piece of cardboard is known as a carte de viste.
- Collodion Prints
Collodion printed-out paper (1885-1920) contain silver and gold which can turn the photograph black. Popular between 1885 and 1920, collodion prints were used in the making of cabinet cards.
- Daguerreotype
This photographic process was invented in 1839 in France. It combines the negative and positive into one image. Using a sheet of highly polished silver-plated copper and not a negative, the image side can either be a negative or a positive depending upon how the light strikes its mirror-like surface. Sold in handsome covered wooden or leather boxes the daguerreotype retained its popularity throughout the mid-nineteenth century.
- Imperial Card
An albumen print mounted on a 8 ¼ x 9 7/8 piece of cardboard is an imperial card.
- Promenade Card
An albumen print mounted on a 4 x 7 piece of cardboard is a promenade card.
- Stereograph
Stereographs first appeared in the United States around 1850. Technically it is a pair of photographic prints of the same person or place that are mounted next to each other on a 3½ x 7 card. Viewed through a stereoscope the two-dimensional scene becomes a single three-dimensional photograph. Viewing stereographs remained popular until about 1920.
- Tintype
Fereotype or tintype as it is commonly known were introduced in the late 1850s and were used well into the 20th century. The tintype is a direct positive image upon a sensitized iron base. Like the daguerreotype and the ambrotype, a negative is not produced.
- Victoria Card
An albumen print mounted on a 3 ¼ x 5 piece of cardboard is a victoria card.
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