SOG-UK-L Archives

From: Peter Amsden <>
Subject: Re: [SoG] Photograph dating
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 16:45:52 +0000
In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.20050208202921.014d07c0@POP3.demon.co.uk>

This is actually a not very easy question to answer, because the beginning
of the 20th century was before the time of real standard sizes. Many people
still used glass plate cameras, and these came in a variety of sizes, that
even amateurs had to use. It was not until the days of Kodak that any real
attempt was made to standardise sizes, mainly because we were then into the
era of flexible roll films, and these clearly had to fit specific mass
produced cameras.

A good web site to study this evolution is:

http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/FilmHist.html

It has to be remembered though, that whilst the introduction of a particular
film size will mark the earliest possible date, it will do little to mark
the end of an era. Some now very obscure film sizes such as 616 & 620 are
still being made in small quantities for enthusiasts. The manufacture of
these cameras ceased around the 1930's.

Peter Amsden,
Argyll, Scotland
ASAT Productions: http://www.asat.biz

Researching Amsden World Wide
Outline History: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~amsden
Books I have written: http://www.btinternet.com/~amsden
AllExperts: http://www.allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=38044

Never dump originals - they may be all that is left after the computer age.





> From: "Graham Lewis" <> (by way of Geoffrey
> <>)
> Reply-To:
> Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 20:29:21 +0000
> To:
> Subject: [SoG] Photograph dating
> Resent-From:
> Resent-Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 15:10:30 -0700
>
> Somewhere I can recall seeing a listing (in a book) of the sizes of "snaps"
> taken with a family camera and relating their size to the film sizes and
> camera types that were in use in the first half of the 20th century, and
> when each size was in vogue.
>
> Can anyone please refresh my memory where I might have seen this listing
>
> Cheers
>
> Graham Lewis
> Sydney
>
>

This thread:

• Photograph dating by "Graham Lewis" <> (by way of Geoffrey <>)

  • Re: [SoG] Photograph dating by Peter Amsden <>