For The Love of Tintypes

{many of these tintypes were found at the Library of Congress
& some are favorites from pinterest}

I LOVE Tintypes...

everything about them fascinates me.

They are a frozen moment in time, that can never be duplicated.

Looking into the eyes of each subject, I can't help but try &

imagine what thought crossed their mind at

the instant the image was taken.

There's something magical about these tiny pieces of metal...

these bits of history, no bigger then a couple of inches,

& yet the stories they tell are priceless.

The stories are in their eyes.

The eyes of a child...

& the eyes of a solider.

Each story is there to be found,

if you just look closely enough.

I ADORE this one, she tells me exactly what she's thinking.

Our little civil war girl does NOT like the photographer & most certainly

does not want to be sitting still for so long, she's just plain mad!

Oh, but look at that exquisite dress & her ringlets.

Someone had made a comment on this picture that I thought was perfection...

'the oldest child is the peacemaker, you can tell it by the gentleness

in her face, but the other two are strong willed & a handful.'

Like I said, perfection.

Maybe one of the reasons I love these images so much is because it

didn't happen in second. The subject needed to stand motionless

for a couple of minutes & in those silent moments, I think

the true nature of their feelings was captured.

Some of humor...

some of joy...

& some of sorrow.

Did you know in the Victorian era it was common for loved ones in

mourning to have their backs turned to the camera. It's not to

show their hairstyles, but to show their loss.

There were actually 3 different types of photography during the early to late

1800's. Daguerreotypes were made on copper, Ambrotypes

were made on glass & Tintypes were made on iron.

The process for the first two types was quite expensive, making the cost prohibitive

for most families. These images were mainly taken by the middle class & the rich. 

One common practice during the Victorian era, was to have an image taken

of a loved one who was deceased. Since most people couldn't

afford to have pictures taken, this may have been the only

image they would have of that special someone.

We take photographs for granted now shooting away on our cell phones,

ipads & digital cameras. We skpe with our loved ones, never feeling too

far away. To think back to a time when the only image you may have

had of your child is once they've passed away, is heartbreaking.

When the Tintype came out, the process was much less

expensive making it a little more affordable to the masses.

They could be produced quickly, even while you waited. Photographers started setting

up shop at carnivals, fairs or other places where lots of people would gather.

What must they have thought when they had a memory to hold

in their hand for the very first time?

And now, they are my history book...

in each image I see their hopes & dreams.

I see where they've been...

& how far they've come.

Those tiny, scratched pieces of metal give me pride in the past...

& hope for the future.

I'm a romantic at heart...

can you tell?

As far as I'm concerned, these images can never belong to one person,

they belong to the hands of time as a reminder of our shared past.

Just touching them gives me a sense of history.

I LOVE that for the movie 'Cold Mountain', they made Tinypes of

Nicole Kidman as Ada...

& Jude Law as W.P. Inman bringing these fictional characters to life.

I LOVE Tintypes!

XOXO

vintagesusie