A couple of weeks ago, we were delighted to receive a beautiful Victorian‑era photographic album, kindly donated by Jersey resident Gary Birbeck. The album, which Gary inherited from his mother, belonged to the Jersey-based Sinnatt family, which she was a member of. The album contains 48 beautifully composed cabinet card photographs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the vast majority of which were taken in Jersey by local photographers.
Based on conversations with Gary at the time of the donation, it is highly likely that the album belonged, at least at some point, to his great‑great‑grandfather, John Richard Sinnatt (1840–1925). Alongside a photograph that can be identified as Mr Sinnatt himself, the album contains two photographs of Gary’s great‑grandfather, Sydney Spotswood Sinnatt (1870–1928). Also included are photographs of a Nelly Lipscombe (possibly a family member, as Sydney Sinnatt married into the Lipscombe family) and of Janet S. Hall, addressed to Mrs Sinnatt, who we can infer was likely John Sinnatt’s wife, Suzanna Sarah Sinnatt, née Le Gros (1841-1914). The remaining individuals pictured are assumed to have had some form of connection to John Sinnatt or the wider Sinnatt family, whether as relatives, friends, or otherwise associated.
Cabinet photographs
Cabinet photographs, originating in 1866 and inspired by the smaller carte‑de‑visite pocket‑sized photographs, were a popular photographic format used widely from this period through to the 1920s. They were essentially photographic paper prints (typically albumen prints) mounted onto card, measuring around 4 × 5 inches.
The front of the card normally includes the name and studio location of the photographer, while the back often features a decorative logo or design, along with information about their services. Almost exclusively, cabinet photographs consisted of portrait images, most often taken in a studio setting by a commercial photographer.
With photography still being a relatively new invention at the time, the ability to have high‑quality portraits produced by a skilled professional at an affordable price made cabinet photographs extremely popular. People would often collect numerous versions of these photographs, most commonly portraits of friends and family, frequently gifted by the individuals pictured. Typically, cabinet photographs—particularly those considered important or meaningful—were placed inside albums with specially sized inserts designed to house standard cabinet photographs, as is the case with this particular album.
Size and dimensions
At 25 × 35 cm, this photographic album is considerably larger than typical Victorian‑era photo albums, which usually measured around 10 × 15 cm.
Album exterior
The album has a gold‑coloured leather cover and is decorated with an intricate gilt pattern extending across the front, spine, and back. An embossed, hand‑painted design on the front shows an illustration of a young woman wearing a white dress, very much in keeping with the Art Nouveau decorative style that emerged around the turn of the twentieth century. This decorative design immediately gives the album a strong sense of character. The level of detail in both the pattern and the illustration is remarkable and demonstrates the high level of skill and craftsmanship involved in its production.
The album also includes a gold‑plated buckle for opening and closing, along with a gold‑plated connecting ridge on the opposite side, further highlighting the high level of craftsmanship involved. Through its striking exterior, the viewer is immediately captivated and encouraged to explore further.
This gold detailing continues inside the album and can be seen in the gold edging around the pages, as well as in the decorative borders around the mounts, the fine border lines positioned near the corners of the pages, and those surrounding the insertion areas directly beneath the mounts.
Album interior
Inside, the album contains 24 pages. Each page has two mounts cut out for the cabinet photographs, one positioned at the top and one below. Beneath each mount is an insertion point, allowing photographs to slide in and out with relative ease. The mounts are designed so that only the images themselves are visible, with the photographer information along the lower front edge of the cabinet cards hidden.
The large dimensions of each page provide generous space for the comparatively small photographs, allowing them to breathe and ensuring they do not visually compete with one another.
The pages are made from thick, high‑quality card (approximately 400 gsm). Practically, this thickness allows photographs to be placed back‑to‑back within the mounts, while stylistically it enhances the album’s solid and sturdy feel.
Across both the photographs and the pages, various blemishes and small spots are visible. This is consistent with foxing, a natural process in which areas of paper gradually brown over time. This is entirely expected given the age of the album, particularly as it has not, until now, been stored in a controlled archival environment.
Photographs
Considering the photographs are well over 100 years old, they are impressively well preserved. With only a few exceptions, they retain a remarkable level of clarity and detail, along with much of the distinctive sheen typical of albumen prints. This is due both to the care with which the album has been looked after and its sturdy design, which provides a strong natural protection.
The photographs themselves are fascinating. Taken by professional photographers, the images are highly varied, depicting subjects of differing ages and including a mix of individual and group portraits. They make use of a wide range of poses, angles, and distances, along with numerous studio backdrops—some particularly imaginative and even humourful!
Whether intentional or not, the arrangement of the photographs throughout the album is extremely effective. The pairings of images, both per page and across double‑page spreads, are for the most part very successful, with clear links in subject matter, theme, and composition.
When carefully sliding the photographs from their mounts, the variety in cabinet card designs becomes especially apparent. Some are highly decorative and colourful, while others are far more muted and serious in appearance. This offers an interesting insight into what individual photographers chose—or chose not—to express through their designs. On the reverse of a small number of photographs, handwritten text is present, mostly written by the individuals featured.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a wonderful and fascinating album. Rich in quality, craftsmanship, character, and personality—both in its design and in the photographs it contains—it is the kind of object that immediately draws the viewer in and invites exploration. It is a unique and exceptional example of a cabinet photograph album, one which we are delighted to welcome into our collection and proud to showcase.
Special thanks to Gary, both for his very kind donation and for his generous assistance in helping to identify individuals within the photographs and in providing background information and insight into the Sinnatt family, all of which has massively helped to support the research for this article.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and explore such a wonderful new accession with us. To find out more about this item or anything else within our rich and extensive photographic collection; to enquire about donating an item you think may be suitable for our archive; or for any other enquiries, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email at photoarchive@societe.je, or by telephone on +44 (0) 1534 633394 or +44 (0) 1534 633398.
Text and photos by Max Le Feuvre – Assistant Archivist, SJPA
