Gem Tintypes

 

Gem tintypes were very popular in the United States beginning in the 1860s because they were small enough to fit into lockets and albums and easy to send to relatives. They were very inexpensive thanks to multiplying cameras that allowed multiple images on a single sheet of iron. Gems are stored in albums, sleeves, envelopes, lockets, and jewelry.

Gem tintypes were introduced in Boston, MA in 1858 thanks to state of the art multiplying cameras, which were multi lens cameras that could stamp out as many as 36 images on a 5 inch by 7 inch plate alone. The number of lenses determines the number of images stamped onto a plate. The lenses in the camera themselves were tiny and were arranged in the same pattern as the images. While gem tintypes were used in Great Britain and other parts of the world, they were extremely popular in the United States from the 1860s to the mid 1880’s. They were even used in Abraham Lincoln’s political campaign in 1860 as buttons.

 

Gem tintypes, not to be confused with Bon-Ton tintypes, which were larger in size, are postage stamp sized tintypes that measure about 3/4 to 1 inch wide to 1 1/4 inch high. Multi-lens cameras produced these multiple images on the same plate, making this the fastest photo to produce at the time. Gems fit into lockets, broaches, jewelry, Cartouche sleeves and albums, small frames, envelopes, etc. and became the most widely produced and inexpensive photograph during the 1860’s. The unmounted gems sold for only 10 cents a dozen, while the mounted gems were only around 50 cents a dozen.

 

Many gem tintype albums, like other tintype albums, contain unidentified subjects and are themselves unidentified by publisher, though stylistic similarities can sometimes lead to identification. A typical ablum would be a small hand sized ornate leather album with double sided pages, with brass larches or other locks to hold it closed. Albums typically held anywhere from 1 to 6 gem tintypes per page (on one side). Like with daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and other tintypes, hand tinting, or hand painting, was popular with gems. Typically cheeks would be painted pink, but jewelry and other items are tinted as well.