Sixth-Plate Ambrotype

Sixth-Plate Ambrotype (1855 - 1865), 19th century portrait, vintage case, 2.75 x 3.25. Developed in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer, ambrotype, or amphitype, hails from the Greek words "immortal" and "impression." These images were impressed on glass through a variant of the wet plate collodion process. They required shorter exposure times than daguerreotypes and were more affordable to manufacture, two factors which contributed to their rise in popularity before the advent of the carte de visite in the early 1860s.

Enclosed within this embellished vintage case is a 19th century portrait of a young woman, with pink-tinted cheeks, wearing an elaborate dress and large cameo necklace. The image is bordered by an oval gold frame with "Holmes N. Y." engraved in the bottom right corner, and the interior of the front cover is lined in floral-emblazoned tan velvet. Although case is detached at the hinge, it still bears the original, functioning closure clasp.

In very good condition, with a separation at the hinge, wear to the exterior of the case and a dark ring around the image.