Looking at an Antique Tintype Portrait in a Beautiful Case, Circa Early-1860s

From my personal collection of antique photographs, we look at an oval tintype under glass

From my Antique Photography channel on YouTube:

In this brief video we will look at a small tintype in an oval Union case — called that not because of the Civil War — but because it was made from a “union” of shellac, sawdust, and lampblack coloring. Even though it’s under glass, and looks like an ambrotype photograph, I believe it to be a tintype.

Dated to early 1860s

The subject is wearing a high-collared coat and a cravat, which were popular for formal portraits during the era of the American Civil War (1861–1865). His hair is parted on the side, and he displays a full, rounded side-whiskers, often called “mutton chops” or “side burns”). This facial hair style, combined with the slightly longer, swept-back hair, peaked in popularity around the same time. For these reasons, I’m guessing this to have been made in the early 1860s.

In addition, tintypes (also known as ferrotypes) rose to prominence as a cheaper, more durable alternative to the glass-plate ambrotypes during the 1860s. The oval, thermoplastic (gutta-percha) case was frequently utilized for smaller tintypes, which were often referred to as “pocket tintypes” because they were portable and resilient.

It’s a beautiful small portrait that’s still in terrific condition considering that it was probably made up to 166 years ago.

Learn more about antique photography processes and see fascinating old photographs on Keith Dotson’s Antique Photography channel on YouTube.