Tintype Photographic Images
In 1856 Professor Hamilton Smith of Ohio invented the tintype or ferrotype process. This new format evolved from its predecessor the ambrotype. The name tintype would suggest the image was on a piece of tin but in actual fact it was on a thin piece of iron. These images, like ambrotypes, could be produced in a matter of seconds but with the added advantage of being a much simpler and cheaper process. The tintype made use of the collodion process developed by the inventor of the ambrotype, Frederick Scott Archer. Scott Archer’s formula worked by mixing collodion with potassium iodine and then immersing this in silver nitrate. The ambrotype image appeared as a negative but when held against a dark background it then appeared positive. Using the same process a tintype image could be produced on an iron sheet that needed to be coated with a black paint or enamel to produce the required dark background. The coated plate was then immersed in the collodion solution and subsequently developed into a positive image.
Once the plate had been prepared it was loaded into a camera. Many of these cameras had multiple lenses, in some cases up to 36, which meant a large number of different images could be produced on one single plate. The images were produced in varying sizes, the most common being 2.25 inches by 3.5 inches. This is the same size as the photograph on a cartes de visite. The tintype was often slipped into a paper sleeve, measuring 2.5 inches by 4 inches, the same size as a cartes de visite mount. These in turn could then be inserted into a photo album.
The smallest tintypes produced were called Gem Tintypes and these measure 1 inch by 0.5 inches, as before they were fitted into a mount and were often placed into photograph albums. These smaller tintypes could also be used in jewelry such as brooches or necklaces.
The tintype process was so inexpensive that even the lowest paid could now afford to have their picture taken. With this in mind many itinerant photographers began producing tintypes all over the U.S. Most tintypes are relatively unappealing in appearance and quality due mainly to the low production costs involved. As with the ambrotype, the vast majority of tintype images produced were general portraiture and are readily available for the collector today. These images might appeal to social historians but on the whole are not sought after by collectors. The prices for tintype images can range from a few dollars to upwards of a thousand. Generally speaking the larger the plate size the higher the price, but content and condition will also influence the amount you can expect to pay. In certain cases a highly collectible subject in poor condition will still command a higher price but in the main condition is the key factor in pricing. Collectors have their own views on what they want in an image and this too can influence the price they are willing to pay. Subject matter is wide and varied in this medium, including Civil War related images, occupational images, animals and street scenes.
In the early 1870′s American photographers brought the tintype process to the UK. It was mainly taken up by traveling photographers who tended to favor the seaside resorts. This type of image turns up quite frequently in the UK and usually shows the whole family huddled together on the beach. The more elaborate shots tend have a prop of some kind in them such a boat or beach hut. The tintype was a popular medium that fell out of favor in the U.S. after the 1890′s. In Great Britain it continued to be used until the 1930′s and in some other countries tintypes continued in use even as late as the 1950′s.
Reference note by p4A.com Contributing Editor Robert M. Ginns.