Making a Tintype

Process Historian Mark Osterman demonstrates the making of a Civil War-era tintype.

• Category

  Education

[Robert Goidel]

I noticed that the image is made into a positive. How is the reversal method achieved? Are you familiar with the later paper ferrotype of photography achieved at State Fairs or Carnivals from the 1950's to the early 1960's? Always wondered about the chemistry involved. Great Video! Thank you!

[GeorgeEastmanHouse]

Hi Robert, wet collodion tintypes are different than conventional gelatin photography. The parts on a gelatin negative or print that were exposed to

light and then developed is a black color. In collodion, those parts exposed to light and developed are a tan color.

What you saw in the video were the tan colored highlights of the picture against the unfixed silver iodide.

[GeorgeEastmanHouse]

At that point the image appears to be negative. When the lighter colored silver iodide is removed in the fixer, it reveals the black metal plate below, which makes the tan image appear lighter in comparison.

The paper tintypes used in street cameras were a gelatin emulsion on glazed black card stock. It was processed in a special developer / fix combination.

[kpkndusa]

I usualy wait untill the plate is sensitized to pose the subject so they do not have to wait so long, the plate will be sensitive for a while.

[GeorgeEastmanHouse]

Thanks for your comments. Yes, typically tintypists and photographers did a preliminary posing, manipulation of the skylight, reflectors and diffusers and then suggested the sitter relax while the plate was sensitized. Just before the exposure they made quick final adjustments and critical focus. In fact, that's what we did during the filming of this video. However, there were many intermediate steps that we did not include in this piece in an effort to keep it succinct...

[GeorgeEastmanHouse]

...It's not really a teaching didactic on the entire tintype process, just a quick glimpse for the average museum visitor for the Civil War exhibit we just featured here at the museum.

Even though you sound like an experienced wet plater, you might want to know that we teach workshops on tintype, ambrotype, wet & dry collodion negatives, collodion opaltype and collodion chloride emulsion printing-out paper here at the museum. Feel free to contact me directly at mosterman@geh.org - Best , Mark

[Cutirimicuador]

I Rather to have a Daguerreotype..

[Elwyn Crawford]

Old time magic! Wonderful video. Thank you ...

[jan3019]

amazing!! i love the long processing, this video is making me love old school photography more!! thanks for sharing!!

[CatspitProductions]

That guy has an awesome studio ;) Come get some Catspit~! ☠

[Darth Sidious]

hahaha i poured silver all over my hand the first time i took one of these photos. i assist.. at least to my best capabilities a tin type photographer who i adore. his equipment is amazing! i would love to eventually have my own camera but failed to realize the massive investment this trae takes. especially to the History junkies that like doing everything in complete period conditions.

[Doud92]

This is photography.. Beautiful

[deltafour1212]

Im not a rocket scientist but isn't using a "spirit lamp" and putting the tin on the flame itself an accident waiting to happen?

With all the fumes from the chemicals used and the collodion itself being highly flammable? I hate to see the plate and you catching on fire