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How to Identify Oval Tin Photographs by Year

A photograph is a moment frozen in time. But often all that is left of that moment is the image itself: Time dissolves the story behind it into mystery. The unknown face staring out from the photo often stirs your curiosity, and though the name may be lost to time, the date it was taken may be revealed. Oval tin photographs (named for the frame in which they are placed) were popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A few antiques-detective skills can help deduce the photograph's year.

Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the photo from the frame and look at the back. Sometimes photographs will be hand-dated.

    • 2

      Examine the front of the tin, especially around the bottom, for an etched date. Oval tin frames used for special occasions were often etched with names or dates.

    • 3

      Examine the photo for chronological clues, such as period fashion or items in the background. For example, if a telephone appears, the photo is probably dated after 1920, although this is an approximation.

    • 4

      Take the oval tin to a professional antiques appraiser or jeweler. An expert may be able to date it within a narrow time frame.


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