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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Photograph Resources, Tips, Tutorials => Topic started by: KnowledgeEnthusiast on Friday 24 June 16 11:20 BST (UK)
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On average, how many people do you think had their photos taken in the period of 1870-1910?
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That's a good question. I haven't got any of my family from that time but then I haven't got many photos full stop :(
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I would think it would depend on how well off the family were to have money to pay for photo's ..I have some from 1891-97 but not any before then :D
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I agree with Rosie; I've inherited (earlier than grandparents) just one posed photo of ggrandparents (working class) in the 1890s. My other line had more children so others in the family may have some - I've no way of telling.
Pinot
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I remember reading somewhere that there were around 4,000,000 photos produced in the UK during the Victorian Era.
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Ah, so that would only be a small percentage from 1831-1901 according to the population at the time - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era#Population_in_the_Victorian_era.
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A larger percentage than it might appear as an awful lot had more than 1 person in them, sometimes whole families.
If you said there was on average 2 people in every photo that would make 8m.
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Jim, would I be right in thinking that photography as we understand it didn't get going until the 1840s?
Some years ago I was asked for copies of any photos of an ancestor who died in 1843, and I seem to remember saying that there couldn't have been any at that time.
Carol
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Earliest family photo that we have is of an ancestor of my wife; it is dated 1854. Family photographs at this time were few and far between and really only available to the wealthy - in my wife's case the photographer was the son in law of her ancestor. People did not generally own cameras in Victorian times so you had to pay for a professional studio portrait if you wished a photograph.
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Photography first arrived commercially in 1839.They were expensive & pretty much beyond most people.
In the 1850's the price came down as a new process arrived but still quite expensive as they were still mounted in gilt cases which added to the cost.
In 1858 the first photo as we know it arrived & this opened up the market for most people.
So 1860 is the start of the boom.
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Thanks Jim, that proves that my memory isn't completely shot ;D
Ah, so that would only be a small percentage from 1831-1901 according to the population at the time - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era#Population_in_the_Victorian_era.
But a larger percentage if you shorten your timeframe.
Carol
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So what time period would it start being practical and affordable for a working class farming family to start getting their photos taken?