1864 CDV
This image of an elderly lady is the earliest I have with an imprint on the front that is more complex than the simple, small, serif font photographer’s imprints found on other early CDVs. In this case, the imprint is gilt, just like the double lines near the outer edge of the card.
Two equal width lines like this are typically found on CDVs dating 1861-65, though rarely it is a feature seen as late as 1868. (Not to be confused with one thick outer line and a thinner inner line, also a common 1860s motif.) That confirms the reported date of 1864 for this image. The woman’s clothing, too, is typical of the mid-1860s.
The photographers, Burrows and Bundy (W F Burrows and either Joseph or Horace Bundy) are also listed in Middletown CT in 1864-65 in W C Darrah’s CDV collection.
So this CDV is probably correctly dated, and represents an early use of larger and more complex fonts in front-side photographer’s imprints. If you have an earlier example, or reason to think this date is in error, be sure to leave a comment!
