He Came as a Soldier. His Great-Great-Grandson Came as Himself.
A man sat for a tintype in my studio. Before we got started he had brought something special to show me. He reached into his bag and handed me something wrapped in cloth. I was amazed what he shared!
It was a plate of his great-great-grandfather, made during the Civil War. The plate was in perfect condition like it had been taken that day.
His Great-Great Grandfather sat the way everyone sat…. very still because he had no choice. The hat is a slouch hat and his shirt is one of those heavy work shirts with deep pockets that volunteers wore instead of a proper tunic. A rifle stands upright beside him with the bayonet fixed. Someone had brushed a little pink onto his cheeks, which is what photographers did back then to warm up the skin. It was a beautiful family heirloom that was well taken care of all these years.
Civil War Tintype Portrait
He came to the studio as a soldier. His descendant came as himself in modern everyday clothing - no hat or rifle.
Tintype Portrait
The times have changed but not the chemistry. Collodion is still poured by hand onto a plate and made light-sensitive minutes before the exposure, using real silver to create silver halides that create the most archival of photographs. If well kept can last for centuries.
That's the thing about a tintype its the real deal. No filters or computer required - purely analogue. It's an archival object that lasts because of what its made from. That soldier's plate survived a war and five generations. It spent some of that time in an attic. Nobody is handing a phone photo across a table in 2180. Long after the cloud is gone these tintypes will still exist.
If there's an old tintype in your family, please bring it when you sit. I'd really love to see it!
Sittings are by appointment at my studio in Lambertville, New Jersey, on the second floor of the People's Store at 28 North Union Street. Every plate is made by hand while you wait, and you leave with the object itself.
Call 609.845.4811 or book through the site.
Made by hand, not just taken.
