Tintypes

 
Welcome to Antique Tintypes, your source for all current online auctions for antique photographs. Tintypes are what most people think of when they think of early photographs, but early photography actually includes tintypes, ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, carte de visites, and more. Read through the store pages for details of each type. Read below for information about tintypes.
 
Antique TinType Photo Young Little Girl Attic Find


Antique TinType Photo Young Little Girl Attic Find

Price: $5.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 15m
1860s TINTYPE~LOVELY GIRL~FRAMES AD~BRIDGEWATER MASS


1860s TINTYPE~LOVELY GIRL~FRAMES AD~BRIDGEWATER MASS

Price: $9.59 (8 Bids)
Time Left: 43m
Tintype Photo 4 Well Dressed Men 2 1 4" by 3" 1880


Tintype Photo 4 Well Dressed Men 2 1 4" by 3" 1880

Price: $3.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 53m
GAY INTEREST TINTYPE 2 MEN IN MATCHING SWIMSUITS


GAY INTEREST TINTYPE 2 MEN IN MATCHING SWIMSUITS

Price: $10.50 (3 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 10m
Photo, Black, African America Woman, Tintype, Daguerreotype


Photo, Black, African America Woman, Tintype, Daguerreotype

Price: $85.00 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 23m
Tintype Photo ~ Well Dressed Young Woman


Tintype Photo ~ Well Dressed Young Woman

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 37m
Fancy Dressed Gambler? & Friend With Pistols Tintype


Fancy Dressed Gambler? & Friend With Pistols Tintype

Price: $24.99 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 39m
FINE TINTED TINTYPE LADY WITH BOTTLE CURLS


FINE TINTED TINTYPE LADY WITH BOTTLE CURLS

Price: $4.95 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 39m
Wonderful 3 Girls Tintype - One with Book Open


Wonderful 3 Girls Tintype - One with Book Open

Price: $8.00 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 41m
FINE TINTED TINTYPE OF 3 YOUNG LADIES POSSIBLY FAMILY


FINE TINTED TINTYPE OF 3 YOUNG LADIES POSSIBLY FAMILY

Price: $4.95 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 43m
EARLY TINTYPE~BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY~PORK PIE HAT~TINTED


EARLY TINTYPE~BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY~PORK PIE HAT~TINTED

Price: $1.31 (3 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 43m
DSOLEMN YOUNG LADY WHITE SKIRT DARK TOP TINTED TINTYPE


DSOLEMN YOUNG LADY WHITE SKIRT DARK TOP TINTED TINTYPE

Price: $4.95 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 45m
Tintype of Man with Long Beard & Young Girl


Tintype of Man with Long Beard & Young Girl

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 48m
Tintype Group Photo of 14 Men & Women


Tintype Group Photo of 14 Men & Women

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 49m
Cased 16th Plate Tintype of a Child


Cased 16th Plate Tintype of a Child

Price: $8.00 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 51m
7 OLD TINTYPE PHOTOS men~women~pairs~1 larger


7 OLD TINTYPE PHOTOS men~women~pairs~1 larger

Price: $14.49 (11 Bids)
Time Left: 1h 57m
Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of Young Woman


Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of Young Woman

Buy It Now: $27.00
Time Left: 2h 1m
3 Antique TinTypes Fat Lady Gents + Cabinet Photo


3 Antique TinTypes Fat Lady Gents + Cabinet Photo

Price: $9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 2m
ID'd Ferro Tintype Photographer Woman with flower


ID'd Ferro Tintype Photographer Woman with flower

Price: $9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 2m
Gem Tintype Brass Frame mounted into an envelope


Gem Tintype Brass Frame mounted into an envelope

Price: $24.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 4m
2 Antique Tin Type Photo Tintype Photograph Colorized


2 Antique Tin Type Photo Tintype Photograph Colorized

Price: $9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 4m
Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of Young Woman


Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of Young Woman

Buy It Now: $35.00
Time Left: 2h 4m
Gem Mounted Tintype CDV Girl ID'd photographer


Gem Mounted Tintype CDV Girl ID'd photographer

Price: $14.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 5m
Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of a Young Man


Civil War Era Tintype Photo Portrait of a Young Man

Buy It Now: $25.00
Time Left: 2h 7m
Tintype Photo ~ Cute Child with Tinted Cheeks


Tintype Photo ~ Cute Child with Tinted Cheeks

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 13m
Civil War Soldier Tintype Tin type Photo


Civil War Soldier Tintype Tin type Photo

Price: $24.99 (2 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 15m
Tintype of Young Boy in Button Pants Holding Hat


Tintype of Young Boy in Button Pants Holding Hat

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 17m
Tintype Group Photo of Nine Young Men & Women


Tintype Group Photo of Nine Young Men & Women

Price: $7.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 18m
ANTIQUE TINTYPE TIN-TYPE PHOTO CASE -WOW!!!!


ANTIQUE TINTYPE TIN-TYPE PHOTO CASE -WOW!!!!

Price: $33.99 (13 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 19m
CIVIL WAR TINTED TINTYPE "GREAT GRANDFATHER QUIGLEY


CIVIL WAR TINTED TINTYPE "GREAT GRANDFATHER QUIGLEY

Price: $4.95 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 2h 21m
Adolphe-Alexandre Martin introduced the tintype process in France in 1853 and Hamilton Smith patented it in 1856. The tintype, also known as ferrotype or melainotype, is derived from the ambrotype, but both were born of the wet-plate process used in daguerreotypes. The ambrotype and tintype are made with almost the exact same process, the biggest difference being what material the image is on. The ambrotype was a negative on glass, while the tintype was easier and cheaper to produce on a thin piece of laquer-backed black iron.
 
When compared to the earlier wet-plate processes, a tintype was very fast to produce. In only minutes a plate could be prepared, the picture could be taken, and the finished tintype could be varnished and given to its customer. Because of both the lightweight but durable iron used for tintypes and the multiple camera lenses used in the process, tintypes could easily be reproduced onto a single plate and cut up to place into albums, cartouche sleeves, lockets, etc. Because of their extremely low cost, tintypes spread quickly, especially throughout the United States in the mid-1860s, in time for the Civil War.
 
Since tintype copies were identical to the original negative plate, the images in tintypes are often reversed. Note in many tintypes that show book covers or newspapers, for example, the writing will be backwards. Some cameras had mirrors to fix this, while some photographers took pictures of the negative itself, thus showing a true image. A famous example of a mix-up is how Billy the Kid was wrongly believed to be left-handed because the negative images were being printed, showing his pistol to be on his left hip. Another misconception about tintypes is that the people in them were crosseyed. In reality, since the photos took several seconds, or in the case of poor lighting, minutes to expose, when the subject moves their eyes, their eye sockets give off a ghost-like effect, sometimes giving the appearance of being cross-eyed. You'll notice moving wagons in tintypes appear to be transparent.
 
To tell a tintype from a daguerreotype, place a magnet up to it. A tintype is made of iron so it will attract. The daguerreotype is made of silver-coated copper and will not. Also, dags will have a shiny mirror-like surface on the image. Tintypes will not. Also, daguerreotypes will always be contained in Union cases or another kind of serine, wood, metal, or plastic protective case. As far as the term, since they are not actually made of tin, some believe they were called tintypes because of the tin shears used to separate the images, though it’s generally believed “tin” just referred to other similar cheap metals.
 
The wet plate process was already outdated by the dry plate process in the 1880s, and tintypes were still sparingly used into the twentieth century. In fact, today, some photographers and hobbyists still use tintypes in their galleries and a few even teach the process to others in tintype bootcamps.