Tintype

MFA# 2002.337

Description

An inexpensive positive photograph made using a collodion emulsion on a black enameled Tinplate. The process for making tintype, or ferrotype, photographs was patented in 1856 and used up to the 1940s. Tintype plates contained a thin layer of photoreactive Collodion coated on a black lacquered iron sheet. They produced a direct positive image that was processed quickly and inexpensive. The images often had poor contrast levels ranging from a dull grays to creamy whites. Tintypes were typically pasted in paper cards with decorative embossed borders. They were called ferrotypes outside the USA.

Tintype

Synonyms and Related Terms

ferrotype; ferrotyping; melainotype; tin type (sp)

SEM

Risks

• Moisture may rust iron plate
• Contact with smooth surfaces, such as glass or polyester, may cause shiny spots

Additional Images

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  Spectrum sample sites

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  Spectra

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  Tintype sample

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  Tintype

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  Tintype sample

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  Tintype sample

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  Tintype

Resources and Citations

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Tintype." Accessed 29 Apr. 2004.

• Luis Nadeau, Encyclopedia of Printing, Photographic, and Photomechanical Processes, Atelier, New Brunswick, 1997

• Caring for your Collections, Arthur W Schulz (ed.), Harry N. Abrams, Inc. , New York, 1992

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• AMOL reCollections Glossary -http://amol.org.au/recollections/7/c/htm - synonym=melainotype