Is there a special name for this photo?

[Beachkid23]

My moms not sure where it came from but it was in the box of stuff I bought from her. It looks like an old Victorian photo. It's small maybe an inch and 1.5 x 2" really hard to see the picture actually and it seems to be all black. There's a small frame that goes with it. No markings.. Any thoughts ? Thanks!

 

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[ivan salis]

often the old tin type photos were often taken at death ...so the mourning kin folks would have a "image" of their dead loved ones --due to their cost few normal working class folks could afford one ... so getting your photo taken was a big deal --you wanted to look your very best ,,since very likely it might be the only one ever taken of you

your photo seems to be of a living well dressed middle aged female ...maybe the wife or elder daughter of a wealthy business man ... maybe a "desk photo"..--the name for those type of photos is "tin type" because they are are made on a copper metal base brushed with silver nitrate and developed with acid --which gave the photo a silverish shiney "tin metal" look ...if a dead person is in it (often adults laid out in a coffin) -- its called a "mourning photo"..it is very common for them to get quite dark with age ..

 

[Tejaas]

That is a 1/16 plate ferrotype.

Here are two 'speed references' you can use to help with future identification:

(Plate sizes are ALWAYS approximates!)

~Tejaas~

 

[Beachkid23]

Thank you both very much. This is the best web site I have ever found! The amount of info is unbelievable!

 

[MRBeyer]

cool, info, thanks to all for this.

 

[Icewing]

Ambrotype I believe, since it appears to be on glass.

 

[stefen]

there are also glass Lantern slides both black/white snd color...

Years back I found several hundred in a building that was being demo'd on a project site...

Still have those plus hundreds of negatives of missions and the like...buried in the attic somewhere.

 

[cyberdan]

..if a dead person is in it (often adults laid out in a coffin) -- its called a "mourning photo"..it is very common for them to get quite dark with age ..

and valuable. people collect those photos, especially of children.