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.

Displayed within one half of this vintage case is a half-length portrait of a seated woman clad in a traditional period collared dress, her left arm propped on a table with a picture frame. The crisp image is framed by an embellished gold frame. Although the front cover is missing, the back panel still retains half of the original closure clasp.

Missing the front cover, otherwise fine condition.