Tintype Albums

 

Here is a selection specifically of mid to late 19th century tintype albums. They are comprised of different types and sizes of tintypes, including cabinet cards, carte de visites (CDVs), gem tintypes, which are very small postage stamp-sized tintypes, and more.

Many tintype albums are still in wonderfully preserved leather albums with bindings and closing buckles.

 

Often the seller will know who the family is or where they are from. Many of these family tintypes get sold in auction sales and are missplaced from their lineage. Without a genealogist it could be tough to track down who everybody is in the album.  Sometimes there will be writing on a Cartouche sleeve, which is an ornate paper frame which is often loosely enclosed in some tintype albums, or writing on the ablum itself. The writing oftentimes displays the date, location, and last name, which is the best way to track down who they are.

 

Tintype album poses and expressions are varied. They are formal, casual, outdoor, commercial, landscapes, etc, and many are filled with carte de visites (CDV) busts of family members. As far as value, albums are probably the best deals as far as early photographs. Some sellers don't even want to be bothered to list each image, which, while frustrating when you're looking to purchase, can actually be good. Collectors know what images are in highest demand and determined most valueable. With albums that don't show each photo, your chances of obtaining a truly rare tintype increase. Personally, I'm not as interested in these early photographs for their monetary value. I like them for their historical value and context in history. Another great aspect to tintype albums are that unidentified photographs contained in an album have a larger chance of being identified becaue you can cross-reference the images in comparison to family archives and family history. Sometimes just a family name on an album can determine who the likely subjects are in the photographs. This cannot be accomplished as easily or at all with a single unidentified photo.