Ambrotypes collection, 1853-1865

Description

The Ambrotype Collection consists of approximately 400 items of this photographic medium. An ambrotype is a type of photograph created by mounting a negative, produced through a variation of the wet collodion process, on glass with a dark backing. This mounting produces the appearance of a positive image. The dates of the ambrotypes in the collection range from 1853 to 1865, the period of time during which the greatest number of this form of photography was produced. The ambrotypes are of various sizes, and some are hand-tinted.

The subjects represented in the collection encompass portraits, animals, buildings, and paintings. The portraits include people of every age and class. The types of attire worn include: evening dress, wedding dresses, band uniforms, military uniforms, children's sailor suits, and children's frocks. Sitters hold different kinds of objects, such as canes, handkerchiefs, pocket watches, and lockets. Children hold dolls or toys.

Sources: Ambrotype Collection finding aid; Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus, accessed 2010-05-19.