Tintype
A tintype, which is actually made of iron, is a photograph made by creating an image on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer. Tintypes enjoyed their widest use during the 1860s and 1870s and were popular for their durability when compared with other formats such as daguerreotypes which were glass plates encased in wood frames. Tintypes can be identified by their thin metal plate which is blackened on the back. If a magnet will attach to the photo, you have a tintype!
- Dates: 1856 – Early 1900s
- Dimensions: 2.75 × 3.5 inches is the most common size. Other sizes include “bon tons” :
- 2.5 × 3.5 inches, four images on a 5 × 7 inch plate
- 2.5 × 4 inches, eight images on a 8 × 10 inch plate
- 2 × 2.5 inches, sixteen images on an 8 × 10 inch plate
- 1.75 × 2.5 inches, eight images on a 5 × 7 inch plate
- And tiny “gems” were also popular in these dimensions:
- 0.75 × 1 inch
- 1.375 × 1.66 inches and smaller
- Larger plates, about 5 × 7, 6.5 × 8.5, or 8 × 10 inches, can also be found.
- See Full Archive
- See More Photo Print Formats