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| Answer to Quiz #6 - May 10, 2005 This picture is a tintype. About what date was it taken (+/- 5 years)? Why? |
| Tintype courtesy of by Tabitha Ricketts. |
| Read more about tintypes at http://www.city-gallery.com/learning/types/tintype/index.php |
The tintype had one of the longest periods of popularity of any of the 19th century types of
photographs, from the early 1860s through the 1930s. Tintypes were introduced in about
1861 as a more durable alternative to the Daguerreotype or ambrotype. They were popular
with Civil War soldiers who could send them in the mail to their families back home without
the fear that they would break.
Tintypes are printed on iron, not tin, so that they can be distinguished from other types of
photographs by the fact that they attract a magnet. (Refrigerator magnets are great to use
for determining if an old photo is a tintype.) They supposedly got their name from the tin
shears used to cut individual images from multiply exposed photographic plates.
Early tintypes were often inserted in paper holders decorated with stars and stripes or other
patriotic emblems. After 1863, they were embossed, not printed. Between September 1,
1864 and August 1, 1865, there was a special tax placed on photographs of all kinds,
including tintypes, to help raise money for the Civil War. Unlike the stamps of other items
that were taxes, such as matches and medicines, tax stamps for photographs were not
required to be destroyed after use. Many of these stamps are still found on the back of
tintypes and are considered collectors' items today.
In about 1870 through 1885, tintypes were often colorized and backdrops with rustics
themes were often used. Brown or chocolate tintypes became very popular.
The popularity of tintypes began to fade in the late 1880s upon the introduction of the
albumen print. But they experienced a revival in the 1890s as inexpensive photo sold at
carnivals.
The keys to dating this tintype are the style of the paper hold and the printing on it. Both are
rather cheap. The oval that is cut in the holder is ragged and the tintype is not quite straight.
While it is true that this kind of photo could have been produced any time during the lifetime
of the tintype, I am going out on somewhat of a limb to say that this photo dates from the
carnival period, with about 1890 as the earliest date it could have been produced. I believe
that if the picture was produced before the 1880s, it would have been smaller, and/or the
appearance would not have been so cheap. If it dated from the "chocolate" period, it would
have been colorized or would have had a background scene. By the 1890s, tintypes had
become so inexpensive to produce that they were sols by common carnival vendors.
photographs, from the early 1860s through the 1930s. Tintypes were introduced in about
1861 as a more durable alternative to the Daguerreotype or ambrotype. They were popular
with Civil War soldiers who could send them in the mail to their families back home without
the fear that they would break.
Tintypes are printed on iron, not tin, so that they can be distinguished from other types of
photographs by the fact that they attract a magnet. (Refrigerator magnets are great to use
for determining if an old photo is a tintype.) They supposedly got their name from the tin
shears used to cut individual images from multiply exposed photographic plates.
Early tintypes were often inserted in paper holders decorated with stars and stripes or other
patriotic emblems. After 1863, they were embossed, not printed. Between September 1,
1864 and August 1, 1865, there was a special tax placed on photographs of all kinds,
including tintypes, to help raise money for the Civil War. Unlike the stamps of other items
that were taxes, such as matches and medicines, tax stamps for photographs were not
required to be destroyed after use. Many of these stamps are still found on the back of
tintypes and are considered collectors' items today.
In about 1870 through 1885, tintypes were often colorized and backdrops with rustics
themes were often used. Brown or chocolate tintypes became very popular.
The popularity of tintypes began to fade in the late 1880s upon the introduction of the
albumen print. But they experienced a revival in the 1890s as inexpensive photo sold at
carnivals.
The keys to dating this tintype are the style of the paper hold and the printing on it. Both are
rather cheap. The oval that is cut in the holder is ragged and the tintype is not quite straight.
While it is true that this kind of photo could have been produced any time during the lifetime
of the tintype, I am going out on somewhat of a limb to say that this photo dates from the
carnival period, with about 1890 as the earliest date it could have been produced. I believe
that if the picture was produced before the 1880s, it would have been smaller, and/or the
appearance would not have been so cheap. If it dated from the "chocolate" period, it would
have been colorized or would have had a background scene. By the 1890s, tintypes had
become so inexpensive to produce that they were sols by common carnival vendors.
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If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please
email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of
your picture.
email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of
your picture.
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| Quiz #6 Results |
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