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You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
Tintype Talk A. Tintypes, also known as ferreotypes and melainotypes,
are actually photographs on thin sheets of iron, not tin.
Sizes varied from small "gems" (3/4x1 inch) to a full
plate (11x14 inches) in a variety of formats including
cases, jewelry and paper sleeves. They first appeared
in 1856 and remained popular until the middle of the
20th century. Even today you can find studios that
produce tintypes at tourist locations.
Tintypes were fast, inexpensive and did not require
elaborate studios to insure a high-quality image.
During the Civil War, itinerant photographers
accompanied troops to the battlefield and photographed
soldiers so that they could mail images home with
their letters. A fairly new publication by Floyd and
Marion Rinhart and Robert Wagner, The American Tintype
(Ohio State University Press, $75), presents an
illustrated history of this type of photograph.
There are various ways to establish a date for a
tintype. If it is in a case or a paper sleeve, you
can try to determine when those designs were in
style by consulting either the Rinhart book or
reference books such as the Rinharts' American
Miniature Case Art (A.S. Barnes, out of print).
Another clue may be on the back on the image.
Photographs taken from Aug. 1, 1864 to Aug. 1, 1866,
have a revenue stamp that varies according to cost
of the image. However, costume details are best way
to place a tintype within a timeframe.
—Maureen Taylor
Taylor is the author of several genealogical
articles and books, including Uncovering Your Ancestry
through Family Photographs. She is project manager for
www.BostonFamilyHistory.com and solves old family
photo mysteries in her column, Identifying Family Photos.
Q. I've discovered a small box of tintypes. How can
I decipher them?
Send your questions to Now What?, 4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, or e-mail nowwhat@familytreemagazine.com.
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