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| Answer to Quiz #12 - June 11, 2005 What is the earliest year that this picture could have been taken? |
| Hint: If you figure out which camera it was taken with, you can figure out the year. Think "Brownie" - but which model "Brownie"? |
| Photo courtesy of Jennifer Morris. Click on thumbnail to see larger image |
Answer: 1901
When the Brownie came onto the market in 1900 it revolutionized photography. For the
first time, anyone could own a camera and take pictures at home without great expense
and advanced technical knowledge. Although Kodak cameras were available as early as
1898, they were more expensive and not as widely used. The Brownie sold for $1 -
equivalent to $20 today, making photography affordable to just about everyone.
Because this picture was taken at home, it was most likely taken with a Brownie
camera. The question now is which Brownie camera.
Different Brownie cameras used film that produced negatives with different aspect
ratios - that is, with different ratios of length to width. The aspect ratio is independent
of the magnification of the printed photograph relative to the negative. By identifying
which cameras could take a picture with an aspect ratio of 1.44 for the present photo,
we can identify which Brownie was used. The year that this Brownie was introduced to
the public is the earliest year the picture could have been taken.
The web site http://www.brownie-camera.com/film.shtml is a great place to read about
Brownie (and Kodak) cameras. It gives technical info about each camera, including the
type of lens and shutter, technical info about each type of film, including which camera
used it and which dates it was in use, a history of Kodak, and much more.
The aspect ratio for the picture above is 1.44, obtained from carefully measuring its
dimensions. The earliest camera to use this shape film was the Brownie Model No. 2,
first available in 1901. The Model No. 2 used No. 120 roll film, with dimensions 2 1/2 x
3 1/4.
The earliest date the photo could have been taken was 1901.
************
Special notes:
1. A white border is apparent around the edges of the photo, except on the right. This
might mean that the negative was not centered on the print paper when it was contact
printed and the negative was somewhat wider than the photo indicates. In this case, the
aspect ratio would have been lower, and could have fit several Kodak and Brownie
cameras on the market as early as 1898.
2. When Jennifer Morris sent in the picture, she was concerned with whether the
baby in the photo was her great grandmother born in 1886, or her grandmother born in
1912. Because home-based photography was not common in 1886, the baby could not
possibly be the great grandmother. The baby is her grandmother, even if the camera
dated back to the earliest Kodak camera available in 1898.
3. In those days, you sent your film in to Kodak to be developed, so the mistake of
cutting the older child half out of the picture would not have been discovered until long
after the picture was taken. If the photo had been taken by a professional, I think he
would have offered to reshoot it to make up for his mistake. For this reason, the photo
was most likely taken by a family member. Because of the way the baby and the
woman are dressed, I believe the photo was taken for the baby's christening. Once this
special occasion had passed, there would have been no point in retaking the picture
once the mistake had been discovered.
4. According to Jennifer, the woman in the picture is the children's grandmother, born
in 1860. She would have been Jennifer's great great grandmother.
Congratulations to this week's only winner - Jim Hills from Houston, TX.
Jim outguessed even the experts! At first, we measured the aspect ratio as 1.5, leading
me to believe the camera used to take the picture was an Ensignette, introduced in
1912. I thought this was really cool, since this was exactly the year that Jennifer's
grandmother was born. But we were wrong, to that Jim deserves a special
photo-detective e-ward.
When the Brownie came onto the market in 1900 it revolutionized photography. For the
first time, anyone could own a camera and take pictures at home without great expense
and advanced technical knowledge. Although Kodak cameras were available as early as
1898, they were more expensive and not as widely used. The Brownie sold for $1 -
equivalent to $20 today, making photography affordable to just about everyone.
Because this picture was taken at home, it was most likely taken with a Brownie
camera. The question now is which Brownie camera.
Different Brownie cameras used film that produced negatives with different aspect
ratios - that is, with different ratios of length to width. The aspect ratio is independent
of the magnification of the printed photograph relative to the negative. By identifying
which cameras could take a picture with an aspect ratio of 1.44 for the present photo,
we can identify which Brownie was used. The year that this Brownie was introduced to
the public is the earliest year the picture could have been taken.
The web site http://www.brownie-camera.com/film.shtml is a great place to read about
Brownie (and Kodak) cameras. It gives technical info about each camera, including the
type of lens and shutter, technical info about each type of film, including which camera
used it and which dates it was in use, a history of Kodak, and much more.
The aspect ratio for the picture above is 1.44, obtained from carefully measuring its
dimensions. The earliest camera to use this shape film was the Brownie Model No. 2,
first available in 1901. The Model No. 2 used No. 120 roll film, with dimensions 2 1/2 x
3 1/4.
The earliest date the photo could have been taken was 1901.
************
Special notes:
1. A white border is apparent around the edges of the photo, except on the right. This
might mean that the negative was not centered on the print paper when it was contact
printed and the negative was somewhat wider than the photo indicates. In this case, the
aspect ratio would have been lower, and could have fit several Kodak and Brownie
cameras on the market as early as 1898.
2. When Jennifer Morris sent in the picture, she was concerned with whether the
baby in the photo was her great grandmother born in 1886, or her grandmother born in
1912. Because home-based photography was not common in 1886, the baby could not
possibly be the great grandmother. The baby is her grandmother, even if the camera
dated back to the earliest Kodak camera available in 1898.
3. In those days, you sent your film in to Kodak to be developed, so the mistake of
cutting the older child half out of the picture would not have been discovered until long
after the picture was taken. If the photo had been taken by a professional, I think he
would have offered to reshoot it to make up for his mistake. For this reason, the photo
was most likely taken by a family member. Because of the way the baby and the
woman are dressed, I believe the photo was taken for the baby's christening. Once this
special occasion had passed, there would have been no point in retaking the picture
once the mistake had been discovered.
4. According to Jennifer, the woman in the picture is the children's grandmother, born
in 1860. She would have been Jennifer's great great grandmother.
Congratulations to this week's only winner - Jim Hills from Houston, TX.
Jim outguessed even the experts! At first, we measured the aspect ratio as 1.5, leading
me to believe the camera used to take the picture was an Ensignette, introduced in
1912. I thought this was really cool, since this was exactly the year that Jennifer's
grandmother was born. But we were wrong, to that Jim deserves a special
photo-detective e-ward.
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If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to
us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture.
You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the
purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.
us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture.
You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the
purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.
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| Answer to Quiz #12 |
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