Portraits

Antique Cabinet Card of Portrait - Younge Utica, NY Photographer
  • I recently acquired a group of 2nd generation photographic images. These are photos taken of something like a portrait. The portrait is the first generation image and the photo is the second generation of that image. I’m not an expert on antique photographs but I love the idea of a portrait being so important to a descendent that the family decided to have a photograph taken to share with other family members. We know that sometimes silhouettists were asked to cut multiple figures and sometimes portraitists painted second portraits for family members.

    The current group are all cabinet cards. Carte de viste (1859-1889) was the first type of photograph made from a negative, which allowed multiple photos to be printed from one sitting. The photograph was printed on thin paper which was then glued to thicker paper or card. Cabinet cards (1866-1903) are basically the same as carte de viste, usually glued to larger card, sometimes with the photographer’s trade information below the glued photo and/or on the reverse. Around 1880, the cardboard mount for cabinet cards started having beveled edges, sometimes with a gold or silver color in the bevel.

    This portrait was of a handsome young man, circa 1845. It looks to me like this may be a photo of a portrait miniature but that’s just my thought. The cabinet card of the gent’s 2nd generation photograph is “Younge/58 Franklin Square/Utica, N. Y.” and only found on the front, below the photograph. 4”x6.5”. Minor wear, edges slightly trimmed, light soil. Looks like the photographer slightly over exposed the print on top and bottom.

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