Tintype Portrait of a Soldier and his Wife

Tintype Portrait of a Soldier and his Wife

United States -- Texas -- Williamson County.
War (Civil War).

Tintype Portrait of a Soldier and his Wife. These two early photographs are held in a cardboard case and are surrounded by a decorative, gold-colored metal frame. On the side of the man's photograph, the bottom reads, "Constitution and Union", signifying that this was a Union soldier.

Also known as a Melainotype, these photographs were images on thin iron sheets. Though thin, they were sturdy and could be used in jewelry or sent in the mail. They were often (as in this case) set within a decorative brass frame. Though they could not be reproduced like other film-based photographs, tintypes were popular because of their affordability.

Rosenheim, Jeff. Photography and the American Civil War. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013.

1860s

This collection is courtesy of Tommy Gonzalez. We would like to thank him for the generosity he has shown the museum.

All photographs are courtesy of Georgene Richaud. Georgene, thank you for your contribution!

All rights to the images are held by Tommy Gonzalez. This image is posted for non-profit educational purposes, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce images and/or for copyright information, contact The Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626.

http://williamsonmuseum.org

Object