Date an Old Photograph - Roger Vaughan Picture Library
Dating Victorian Photograph Card Printers c.1864 - 1895

Compiled by Roger Vaughan
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On the back of a Victorian photograph - at the bottom - may be some tiny printed writing, this was the company that printed the card and supplied the cardstock to the photographer.

To compile this list I looked through about 1000 of my CDVs, of these only a quarter had a printer's name, and I recorded a spread of dates against each printers name by estimating the date of the photograph. With such a small sample it is not possible to give dates when they started - finished in business, but a general time period is however indicated.
Using these dates should be just one tool of enquiry, and may get you into the right time period - but consider the photograph, does it look right for the date? Also some lists have been drawn up to show when the photographer was in business as well - these should be consulted where possible, (see Date an Old Photo)

Range of CDV printers dates estimated - so far!

Adams & Co. London. (c.1889 - 1892)
Abraham, London. (c.1880s - 1890s)
J.J.Atkinson (Manuf for in Berlin) (c.1885 -1888)
England Bros. London (c.1885)
R. Eveling. London. [c.1902 - 1904] Fallowfield, London. (c.1884 - 1888)
Frewer & Evans, London. (c.1870s)
B.P.Grimaud, Paris. (c.1890s)
Samuel Fry & Co (Manuf in Berlin) London. (c.1890s)
Herrmann & Co., Berlin. (c.1884 - 1892)
W.W. Hughes & Co. London. E.C. (c.1886 - 1890s)
D.Hutinet, Paris. (c.1888)
K.Krziwanek, Vienna. (c.1885)
W.Lewis. 6 Corridor, Bath. (c.1864)
A L Berlin [c.1900]
George Mason & Co. (c.1885 - 1885)
E.M.M. Co. London. (c.1880 - 1887)
Oborne (c.1876 - 1887)
E.O.Regr & Depose. (c.1870s)
Reeves & Hoare, London. (c.1885 - 1889)
REG G.E.& C (c.1887 -1895)
Riddle & Couchman, 49 Watling Street, E.C. (c.1870)
Trapp & Münch, Berlin. (c.1879 - 1895)
BP & S. Co. copyright. (c.1892)
Rolph Smith & Co. Toronto. (c.1876)
Spicer Bros. London. (c.1886 - 1890s)
T & M. (c.1881)
Bernhard Wachtl, Wien. [c.1894]
Berhn Wachtl Wein [c.1904]
A.Wilson, London. S.E. (c.1873)
W.B: W & Co. Ltd. 43 Charterhouse Square. E.C. (c.1894 - 1895)


A History of the printer Marion Imp Paris includes some Marion printer's date codes




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