Preview
Creation Date
Late 19th century
Geography
United States
Culture
American
Medium
Tintype
Dimensions
3 1/2 × 2 9/16 in ( 8.9 × 6.6 cm )
Credit Line
Purchase by the Department of Art History
Accession Number
2023.27
Provenance
Purchased via eBay, May 2023.
Description
Cheap tin type portraits, all done in a studio, some with elaborate props. The tin type proliferated in the US in the late 19th century. The technique was patented in 1856 by Hamilton Smith, professor of physics at Kenyon College.