Tim Johnson Collections

Class

Identifier: MS 014

Staff Only

The Tim Johnson Collections consist of materials of historical interest collected and donated by Tim Johnson. These collections include manuscripts such as correspondence, maps, and other documents. There are a significant number of photographs in various formats such as cabinet cards, stereoview cards, and some photographic postcards or carte-de-visite. There are many picture postcards that document historical Kansas places and events. Mr. Johnson continues to collect materials, so this collection may grow over time.

Dates

1870-1900

Creator

Johnson, Timothy (Person)

Extent

10 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Photograph Formats

Carte-de-visites were patented by Parisian photographer André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854. The format added a photograph to a visiting card. Cartes remained popular through the early 1880s, when they were superseded by the larger cabinet card. On later cartes, the print is slightly smaller than the card, leaving room for the name of the photographer or studio at the bottom of the card. https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/carte-de-visite.html

Cabinet cards were introduced in the 1860s superseding the carte-de-visite. The format was common until about 1900. Early cabinet cards typically used albumen prints, although a variety of other process were used for later cards. The photograph is usually smaller than the card, leaving approximately a half inch at the bottom, where the name of the photographer or studio was printed. - Society of American Archivists https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/cabinet-card.html

Card mounted photographs eventually replaced cabinet cards as photographers engaged in broader business of reproducing images, and the authentic original image in some cases became inconsequential. Photographers could create copies of popular images and afix them to their own personalized cards advertising their services. https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/card-mounted-photographs.html