The Victorian Image Collection is owned and organised by Ron Cosens (PCCGB member #1) – it has been built up since 1987 and consists of over 100,000 Victorian cartes de visite and cabinet cards.
(visit online at: www.cartedevisite.co.uk)
The carte de visite was reputedly introduced in France in 1855 but it is very rare to find a carte de visite dated before 1860 when the format really took off. A camera with four lenses and a repeating back was usually used which could take eight images on a single plate so that they could all be processed and printed onto one sheet of albumen paper simultaneously – thereby considerably reducing processing costs.
The individual images measured approximately 57mm × 89mm and were cut up and pasted onto cardboard mounts approximately 63mm ×103mm.
A similar, but larger format was introduced in 1866 by the London photographers Window & Bridge. This was called a cabinet card which was about 104mm x 150mm and pasted onto a thick cardboard mount measuring 108mm x 165mm: so called because it was big enough to be framed and displayed on a cabinet or table.
By 1905 both formats started to be replaced by portraits on postcard stock – a much cheaper medium to use and one which encouraged customers to buy extra copies for sending through the post.
Many of the visually more interesting images in the archive are categorised and it is worth having a brief peep into the past.
Part 1 - Dogs
Having just bought a beautiful puppy, I thought it might be fun to have a look back at some Victorian dogs in all of their various shapes and attitudes.
Dogs have been kept by humans for more than 20,000 years. By Victorian times, however, small lap dogs were a fashionable accessory and Queen Victoria was particularly fond of her canine pets. This royal passion carries right through to our present Queen and her corgis.
We all know, photographing a dog is not simple although some photographers did take dog portraits, i.e. with not a human in sight. However, most Victorian pictures which include dogs were portraits of humans with the dog or dogs invited along to add a personal touch.
As can be seen from the accompanying pictures, dogs were obviously important in the lives of the sitters for a variety of reasons; such as companionship, protection, prestige or even as a working aide.
Each picture has an interpretive caption, but why not make up some captions for yourself?
Part 2 - Soldiers
In part 1 we looked at Victorian dogs, this time let’s see some Victorian soldiers.
But firstly, here is a pair of unusual items; a photo of a soldier (with dog!) dated 1901 but with a letter attached.
The letter reads:
‘In memory of pleasant hours spent with a stranger in a strange land, who has proven himself more than [a] brother.
To Michael Wilson of Sunderland, England from Emil Held, No. 21 Ninth Street, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. June fourth, Nineteen Hundred and One.
May God bless you and yours forevermore, Amen.
A safe journey home and a happy journey through life with your family, is my wish.’
The British army had about 215,000 soldiers in 1860 compared to a UK population of 28 million people, and about 275,000 soldiers by 1901 compared to a population of 38 million: This accounts for the low number of military photographs from that era in most family albums.
Many soldiers were posted abroad and albums contained pictures of those who served in the UK as well as those that served in overseas territories; British military action occurred in India, Africa,
Malaysia, China, and even Australia, New Zealand and Canada during Victoria’s long reign.
Studio portraits reflect various aspects of army life such as uniforms, equipment, comradeship, pride, bravado (?) and of course family ties; both parting portraits and welcome home photos as well.
I am amazed at the range of clothing that soldiers had to wear. All regiments had dress wear and combat wear but early in the period red was a common tunic colour for war time and hats were often tall, cumbersome and impracticable.
Although khaki was introduced in India in the 1840s by soaking white uniforms in mud, coffee or curry powder, we all remember the scarlet tunics at O’Rourke’s Drift in 1879 and it was not until the Second Boer War (1899-1902) that khaki become the norm.
Stop Press – More information on Soldiers
In PW 165 we looked at Soldiers. Having a website invites all sorts of contacts and I was lucky enough recently to correspond with Michael Prevezer. He is a specialist regarding army uniforms and he kindly commented on some of my captions as follows “the chap in highland dress with sword taken at York is in fancy dress, not a soldier, and the group at Cleckheaton is not an infantry squad but a Yeomanry cavalry squad, I think from the Yorkshire Hussars”. He also identified most of the other regiments and I am very happy to pass on the information to any of our members. Michael can be contacted at mikeprevezer@gmail.com.
Gallery
N.B.: all photographs have been dated from studio details, not from knowledge of military uniforms
Part 3 - Ladies in Hats
The carte de visite (cdv) became popular in 1860 and was joined by the cabinet card (cab) from 1866. By 1905 portraits on postcard (pc) stock started to take over.
In part 2 we looked at some soldiers; this time we are looking at ladies with hats so it may be nice to see a portrait of a soldier with a lady with a fancy hat.
Below is an image from about 1915 and is in the form of a postcard.
Cartes de visite and cabinet cards enable us to actually see a huge variety of lady’s hats from the era which started in the 1860s and ended in the early 1900s.
There are a couple of rather different but interesting portraits that stand out from the crowd – particularly from an historical point of view.
Firstly, here is an unusual and informative item dated September 1882; albeit not a pretty nor a happy one.
Incidentally, the final print has been enhanced with pencil by the photographer, Thomas Fall of 9-10 Baker Street, Portman Square, London W.
So few family photographs indicate the date that they were taken and even fewer provide us with the name of the sitter so this one is a bit special. The fact that it also has a message on the back of the carte de visite mount makes it an important historical document.
The handwritten message reads
‘Mrs. Sursfield Moore formerly Miss Julia Harding Newman wearing small crepe bonnet in mourning for her brother Jh. H Newman of Nelmes near Romford who died May 1882 aged 71.’
Secondly, a far happier and prettier image with an unusual revelation.
This pretty young lady had her photograph taken around the year 1900 in the (windy?) coastal town of Rhyl in North Wales and she is wearing a fashionable boater.
Look closely and you can see clearly that her hat is firmly attached to her blouse to prevent it (the hat) from being blown away and lost. An intriguing image for an indoor portrait.
Hats have had a special place in the wardrobes of ladies for many centuries and the Victorian era certainly illustrated that fact most clearly with many millions of portraits in which the sitter proudly showed off her fashionable millinery. Thank goodness for the invention of photography!
The other images show just a few of the amazing creations from the wide variety of headwear designs that were worn by ladies, from teenagers to great grannies, from 1860 to about 1905.
The hats range from the typical to the oddly weird (exotic birds beware!) and slowly evolve from the purely decorative to the more practical as the lives of the younger ladies took into account their newly found freedoms.
The world, for them, began to change dramatically towards the start of the 20th century, particularly with the popularity of the bicycle and the car.
All photographs are between 160 and 110 years old and have been dated from studio details; not from a knowledge of millinery fashion.
Part 4 - Children with toys
Last time we looked at ladies with hats; this time we go to the younger generation and enjoy some lovely photographs of children with Victorian and Edwardian toys. However, which toys belonged to the children and which
ones belonged to the photographer; it is impossible to tell.
Gallery below, information about the images from left to right: To start with a snapshot image of a lady (with a hat of course!!) from about 1905 showing a young boy in the background actually playing with a wooden hoop in the street.
Alongside is a formal studio shot of a youngster with the same type of toy which was popular in Victorian times and went out of fashion soon after the First World War.
Looking through the collection there are many different toys on view. The most popular ones are definitely dolls for the girls and boats for the boys.
Another very popular toy was represented by the horse, which is not surprising as it was such an important part of everyday life. Examples range from the magnificent rocking horses to smaller pull-along horses on wheels as well as even smaller standalone equine toys.
Other popular toys photographed include buckets & spades, balls, bats, books, skipping ropes, whips, guns, tinplate people & vehicles and a variety of cuddly animal toys from cats to dogs to sheep.
Interestingly, pictures of teddy bears on cartes de visite or cabinet cards are very rare. Teddy bears were developed, apparently simultaneously, by toymakers Morris Michtom in the United States and Richard Steiff in Germany in the early years of the 20th century; just as cdv and cabs were being phased out. Teddy bears were named after US President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt.
One aspect of photographing children will be fully appreciated by most members, it is hard to get them relaxed and in focus; and to have their toys in focus as well is a real bonus. This was particularly difficult in the 1860s and 1870s.
But remember that, in Victorian times, boys often wore frocks up to the age of six or seven after which time they were ‘trousered’.
All photographs are more than 110 years old and have been dated from studio details; not from a knowledge of the history of toys. We hope you enjoy the extra images shown here which could not fit onto the printed pages of Photographica World.
Part 5 - Freemasons
The collection consists of Victorian cartes de visite and cabinet cards. The carte de visite (cdv) became popular from 1860 onwards and was joined by the cabinet card (cab) from 1866. By 1905 both formats started to be
replaced by portraits in postcard format (pc).
Last time we looked at children with toys, this time we are looking at the other end of the life cycle with a much more serious theme.
Traditionally, Freemasons trace their origins back to the guilds that regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients from as early as the 14th century.
The movement is organised into local Lodges that are usually supervised at the regional level by a Grand Lodge: there is no international Grand Lodge.
The main purpose of Masonry is to make ‘better men out of good men’. Officers are selected annually and every Masonic Lodge has a Master, two Wardens, a treasurer and a secretary to oversee their internal activities as well as their extensive charitable work. In Victorian times, women were not allowed to take part.
The distinctive masonic regalia is clearly shown in the following photographs and consists of collars, aprons, gloves, badges and jewels, all of which have a special significance to members.
Many Victorian photographers (122 noted so far) advertised their membership by including the Masonic symbol on the backs of their photographic mounts (see top right).
Firstly, let’s meet a family of masons from Bristol.
In the picture from the mid 1890s (illustrated below), William Gibbons Vowles stands proudly on the left with his son, Edward Joseph Vowles, on the right and with his own older brother in the centre.
William was a church organ builder of 14 Victoria Road, Bristol who was presented with a superb scroll on the 4th. February 1908 to commemorate his 50 years within the organisation: at the time he was 83 years old.
By 1911 he was a widower and retired and living on a nearby dairy farm with the Petheram family.
He died in 1912 aged 87.
Thanks to Marcel Safier for his research into the Vowles family.
Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the magnificence of the Masonic regalia as captured by our expert photographic artists working in the mid 1800s to around 1919.
Gallery
NB: All photographs have been dated from studio details; not from knowledge of the masonic uniform nor regalia.
Part 6 - Horses
The collection consists mainly of Victorian cartes de visite (cdv) and cabinet cards (cabs) between 1860 and 1904 when both formats started to be replaced by the cheaper postcard format.
Although the vast majority were of portraits, other subjects were tackled by photographers from the very early days.
The horse (and donkey) were such integral parts of daily life that it is not surprising that some photographers, even in the largest cities, took equine photographs and some even had dedicated studios – see images below.
But let’s start with the tail end!
Pollution from the back of transport today is a serious issue but in the Victorian era it had mixed blessings – it certainly needed clearing away in the towns but the end product was also great for the roses; my father was often sent out to “follow the horses” when he was a lad.
The two images below are remarkable.
Why did photographer Dobson of Shipley make a cabinet photo of a street scene and then subsequently copy part of it into a cdv of a humble road-sweeper – whose pal with a pail was not included; who would pay for that?
A wonderful insight is also given on this subject in the book ‘Munby, Man of Two Worlds’ with a factual entry from his diary of 1862:
“… a girl named Margaret Cochrane is a crossing sweeper at Charing Cross, and has been so, to my knowledge for several years. She says she is fourteen but she looks much older. She sweeps … the densest part of the wide throng of hurrying carriages. She plies her daring broom under the wheels, which bespatter her with mire as they fly; she dodges under the horses’ heads. And is ever ready to conduct the timid lady or nervous old gentleman through the perils of the crossing; she is wet through her thin clothing when it rains; she is in the street all day, the lowest and least protected …”
Part 7 - Dressed alike
The carte de visite (cdv) appeared in 1860 and the cabinet card (cab) from 1866. By 1905, portraits on postcards (pc) started to take over.
This section of the archive started off as ‘Twins’, quickly included triplets and soon became ‘Dressed Alike’. It relates only to siblings so that uniforms and bridesmaids’ dresses and theatre costumes are not included; these are all elsewhere in the collection.
One issue is that separate portraits on separate photographs can sometimes be of the same person taken at the same sitting. However, these two lassies are dressed alike and are clearly sisters. (first image in collection below)
The most definite examples of siblings are those which include them in the same photograph such as these two ladies from the famous studio of Alexander Bassano in London in 1874. Interestingly, the clever pose shows both front and side views of the outfits, thereby adding real value for all students of fashion. (see second image illustrated below)
Many ‘Dressed Alike’ images are of children and it is thought by fashion experts this may be because the clothes were home-made or custom made by a nearby seamstress.
Some families went to the same photographer over the years to record their children as they grew up. Here are several charming ‘dressed alike’ photographs of Ada Kennedy, with her sister Lucilla, which were taken by John Moffat in Edinburgh between 1864 and 1868. (see images below)
There are more pictures and a slide show in the John Moffat biography at: https://www.cartedevisite.co.uk
Enjoy the gallery below which shows ‘dressed alike’ siblings of all ages.
Part 8 - Lace
The carte de visite (cdv) became popular in 1860 and was joined by the larger cabinet card (cab) from 1866. Portraits on postcard stock (pc) started to take over from 1905.
Lace was definitely a photographer’s friend – a really perfect help for getting an image accurately in focus.
Lace was worn by people of all social classes – it was even good enough for Queen Victoria herself who often had her clothes decorated with it.
It started to be used with clothing from the early 16th century and has been made mainly in Europe and in America.
The Latin word for lace means ‘noose’ (i.e. an open space outlined with rope or thread). This description applies to many types of open fabric resulting from looping, plaiting, twisting or knotting threads by hand or machine.
There are many types of lace which are named according to how they are made. These include bobbin lace which is made using bobbins and a pillow. The bobbins are turned from wood, bone, or plastic and hold threads which are woven together and held in place with pins stuck into a pattern on a pillow. There are several videos on the internet showing this amazing process and they are well worth watching.
Other types of lacemaking include chemical lace, cutwork, knitted lace, knotted lace, needle lace and tape lace. Lace is often made by machine these days.
These magnificent lace accessories – mainly separate items that could be worn with different costumes – were considered desirable status symbols, especially if hand-made. Often the ladies in the photographs made their own lace pieces and the portraits showcased their handiwork.
See examples of this delicate adornment used in a variety of ways in the gallery below. This illustrates how lace was included as part of the clothing for people of all ages; from little babies to aged grandmamas.
Gallery
All photographs have been dated from studio details.
Expert comments from fashion historian Jayne Shrimpton (https://jayneshrimpton.co.uk) have been gratefully received and included.
Part 9 - Salvation Army
The carte de visite was rarely seen in the UK before 1860 and the larger cabinet card was introduced in 1866. Portraits on postcards started to be produced from about 1904.
The Salvation Army is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London with a membership of over 1.7 million. It is established in countries such as America, Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, India, South Africa, Iceland and Germany.
It started on the streets of London by abandoning the traditional concept of a church pulpit and taking God’s word directly to the people; to reach the people most in need.
It was founded in 1865 by one-time Methodist preacher William Booth (1829–1912) and his wife Catherine Booth and called the East London Christian Mission.
They preached and practiced a doctrine of practical Christianity — soup, soap and salvation — to encourage social and spiritual transformation among society’s most vulnerable and marginalised people.
Their work included setting up shelters for people who were homeless, providing a family tracing service, campaigning to improve working conditions, running soup kitchens, helping people living in the slums and setting up rescue homes for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution.
In 1878, Booth re-organised the mission, becoming its first General and introducing the military structure which has been retained as a matter of tradition.
In the early 1890s, the Salvation Army also ran its own photographic studio in London for the public as well as for its members. They also sold many portraits of General Booth and other Salvation Army leaders for promotional purposes and to raise funds for their charity.
The Salvation Army is still very active today and its good work is explained fully at : www.salvationarmy.org.uk
Gallery
All photographs have been dated from studio details.
Part 10 - Weddings
The earliest known photograph of a bride was taken in Boston (USA) in 1854.
Victorian wedding pictures were usually taken in the studio but some were taken outdoors; however, pictures taken inside churches were not seen until the 1920s.
Here (first image in gallery below) is the famous painting by Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret – where all the family seems to be involved.
Weddings have always been an occasion for celebration and for dressing up. In early Victorian times it was only the brides of the rich and famous that wore ‘white’ dresses, albeit many were actually ivory in colour as they were better to photograph. Orange blossom was a very popular adornment and added a little colour to the bonnet or the veil. However, from the late 1870s, brides started to wear bolder colours; examples of bronze, claret and amethyst etc. still exist in museums today.
As time went on, some ladies from lower classes also started to wear white wedding dresses but many still got married in brighter colours in the style of ‘Sunday Best’ clothes that could be worn thereafter. The groom’s new suit often had to last for life!
In the late 1880s the canonical hours were changed and afternoon weddings became popular, thus allowing brides to get married in their ‘going-away’ apparel.
Although most of the photographs in the Gallery below show full length poses, Victorian newspaper reports often showed just head and shoulders portraits.
Wedding celebrations come in various forms. Here (second im age in gallery below) is a rare and beautiful piece of photographic ephemera; an invite to a 50th anniversary party.
The institution of Marriage has been viewed differently throughout history but today it appears it is in danger of becoming an endangered species. The ONS reported in 2021 that, for the first time since 1845 when records began, more than 50% of children in the UK were born outside of marriage.
Gallery
All photographs have been dated from studio details.
Part 11 - Babies
Following on from the last edition – weddings – perhaps we should look this time at babies.
As we all know, Victorians generally had large families, partly because of the lack of modern methods of birth control; and numerous census returns show that most upper class and middle class parents employed a live-in nanny or servant to help out.
Incidentally, poorer families often had to pay for a “Monthly Nurse” who actually lived in for a few weeks to care for the mother and the child during the birth and for a few weeks thereafter – there was no NHS in those days.
Life for Victorian children was very different from today. Babies in rich households had plenty of toys to play with but babies in poorer households often had to make do with toys that were homemade.
Of course, a new addition to the family was often a joyous occasion and many of our photographs today show how they were cared for and cherished – often by their older siblings.
Babies are not always easy to photograph and their safety was, as always, of paramount importance. Because of this, many portraits included specially shaped chairs to keep the babies safe whilst, in other cases, they were sometimes tied in with string or ribbon!
Sadly, deaths of mothers and babies through premature or still births often occured because of the poor health of the mother with an infant mortality rate of about 150 per thousand in England and Wales. Death was also frequently caused by common deseases and accidents. Many a tombstone tells the sad story of the death of more than one infant in the same family. We will talk more about this aspect in a later episode.
Gallery
All photographs have been dated from studio details.
Part 12 - Groups
Maybe it is the time to look at people getting together – mainly families – but also GROUPS of friends and acquaintances meeting up for leisure and educational purposes as well.
Taking photographs of groups of people has its challenges but these challenges became easier to overcome as exposure times reduced and as photographs were more easily taken by electric light or taken out of doors.
Several companies emerged that specialised in taking group photographs of schools and sent their employees around the country. George Holden managed the Elementary Schools Photographing Co. and then became the photographic artist of the Home and Colonial Photo Co. with bases in Plymouth and Johannesburg!
Wohlgemuth & Co. of Glasgow offered an interesting and unusual marketing ploy;
INDIVIDUAL, framed portraits enlarged up to ‘Life Size’ from their GROUP shots.
How good could those portraits be?
Victorian photographs often offer unexpected details as shown in the image below – it is very unusual to see the underneath of Victorian shoes; but in this case there is a whole row of them. Great information for a keen cobbling researcher!