Salt Print

The salt print process started with a negative such as a glass plate that was then exposed on chemically treated paper to create a positive image. Most salt prints were made on high quality writing paper, so if a print is unmounted it should appear semi-translucent and if held up to a light source you might be able to detect a paper watermark.

Many salt prints are light brown to reddish brown in color, lack sharp detail, and can suffer from significant fading. One of the tell-tale marks of a salt print is that the image looks “sunken in” to the paper instead of on top of the paper. Salt prints are typically found mounted in albums or loose.

• Date: 1839-1860
• Dimensions: various
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