What is a tintype?
A tintype, also known as a ferrotype, is a photographic process from the 19th century that involves creating a positive image on a thin sheet of iron or aluminum coated with a photosensitive emulsion. The subject is photographed directly onto this metal plate, resulting in a unique, reversed image. Tintypes were popular for portrait photography during their era due to their affordability, relative durability, and quick processing times, making them accessible to a wide variety of people. The process emerged from Ohio in 1854 and became a primary format for portraiture over the next few decades. Tintypes continued as a novelty item into the 1920’s.
Important Note
The reality of tintypes is not always as they may appear. First and foremost, tintypes are mirrored images, so text will be backwards (unless it is mirrored in real life) and what appears as the right hand on an individual is actually the left hand. Tintypes were subjected to early forms of photo editing and additional embellishments, including painted gold highlights on buttons, brooches, and rings (sometimes that the subject was not actually wearing). Very commonly, tintypes will have a light pink tint added to the cheeks of the subject’s face as blush to appear more “alive.” Sometimes, a dark color is painted on in order to edit a person’s silhouette or feature such as dark hair.
The backside of a tintype. Here, the dark color of the iron plate is visible. Typically, the corners of tintypes are cut, rounded, or folded.
Tintype circa 1900
Elizabeth W. Colly (1819~1910) was the wife of James R. Meadows (1832-1909) of Prince Edward County, Virginia. She is a x4-great grandmother to Kyle Griffith. Her dress pattern is an intricate and old-fashioned diagonal plaid pattern, reminiscent of a coverlet. She has a lace collar and a white headcovering tied beneath her chin.
Tintype circa 1899
Sarah Jane Meadows (1858-1929) was the daughter of Elizabeth Colly Meadows and the wife of John Henry Gauldin (1853-1917). She is pictured with two children, James W. Gauldin (1888-1958) and John W. Gauldin (1898-1953) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The mother wears a plaid dress with a small collar, puffed shoulders, and long sleeves. The son wears a buttoned-up plaid sack suit and the baby boy wears a long striped dress. There is slight blush tinting.
Tintype circa 1900
William Osborne Meadows (1851-1927) was the son of Elizabeth Colly Meadows and the husband of Letitia Watson (1855-1903) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He is a x3 great-grandfather to Kyle Griffith. He wears a loose suit coat with a waistcoat buttoned only a couple of at the top. He wears a white dress shirt with no additional neckwear. He has short hair with a long, graying beard. He appears to be outdoors.
Tintype circa 1903
Joseph Ephraim Pruett (1883-1916) was the son of Ephraim Pruett (1840-1907) & Delaware Watson Pruett (1848-1915) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Read more about his life in this tribute. He wears a three piece suit with loose, narrow lapels that button about a third of the way down. His white dress shirt has a wing-tipped collar and he wears a large light patterned bowtie. The backdrop is a very ornate floral pattern.
Tintype circa 1876
William Wilson Herndon (1855-1891) was a son of George Aaron Herndon of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He wears a matching three piece suit . The coat has wide lapels and buttons about mid-way down. Several waistcoat buttons are open, as was fashionable in the mid 19th century. He wears a white dress shirt with a spread collar and no additional neckwear. His facial hair is mostly clean shaven except for side burns. There is slight blush tinting.
Tintype circa early 1870’s
Another photo of William W. Herndon as a younger man. Here, his waistcoat low cut, and also only buttoned only at the bottom. His coat and trousers are matching, and again there is no additional neckwear. There is slight blush tinting and gold highlights have been painted to appear as three buttons and a pocket watch chain.
Tintype circa 1890
Robert H. Herndon (1862-1933) was a son of George Aaron Herndon of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He wears a well-tailored suit with a unique pattern on it. He has a white dress shirt with a thin cutaway collar. His patterned necktie is tied a common four-in-hand knot. He wears a groomed mustache and has short, dark hair. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa early 1870’s
Julia Melissa Hudson (1855-1940) wife of Joel W. Herndon (1859-1937) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. This tintype has had several additional embellishments added to the image, including the use of painted gold highlights on buttons, brooches, and rings. In addition, the face has a pink tinted blush as well as vibrant crimson color added to the lips, which in modern day appears like lipstick. One less noticeable edit is the use of black to reshape the parting of the hair.
Tintype circa 1880
Another portrait likely showing Julia Melissa H. Herndon. Here, she wears a variety of accessories, including a mantilla-style comb in the back of her hair, dangling earrings, large collar pin, and handwear. Her polka-dot dress contrasts with the crossed fichu collar made of elegant lace.
Tintype circa early 1890’s
Young girl wearing a simple long-sleeved dress with a checked pattern. She has a loose, frilly white collar. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1874
Believed to show George Prentice Herndon (1857-1902) and John Aaron Herndon (1853-1896) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. They are wearing similar formal three-piece suits. They wear short waistcoats paired with long cutaway coats with wide lapels. There is slight blush tinting and gold highlight applied to the pocket watch chain.
Tintype circa 1880’s
Thought to be Henson Thomas Stowe (1836-1909) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He wears a well-tailored three-piece suit buttoned high at the neck. He has no additional neckwear. He wears a thick mustache and trimmed beard.
Tintype circa 1890
A man holds two of his children. He wears a simple dress shirt and suit coat, while the children wear several layers of patterned dress fabric. The child on the right appears to be a girl, while the one on the left could be a boy. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Tintype circa 1880
Three children, likely siblings, pose together. The two boys wear checked suit coats with dark trousers, and the girl wears a simple long-sleeved dress with several layers of striped petticoats. Likely Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Tintype circa 1905
(Left to right) three sisters Annie Motley East (1881-1952), Callie Motley Riddle (1884-1962), and Mary Lou Motley Edmunds (1883-1931) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. They wear common Edwardian style women’s clothing with featuring shirtwaists tucked into a long, flowing skirt and a tight belt at the waist. Their pompadour “Gibson Girl” hairstyle was also fashionable after the turn of the 20th century.
Tintype circa 1880
This woman wears a dark dress with decorative buttoned cuffs and loose sleeves. She wears a frilly white shirt visible at the neck and cuffs. She wears a light plaid scarf tied as a bow and an ornate hat with decorative leaves and flowers. There is slight blush tinting on her face and on the flower. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
This woman displays a good example of the form-fitting dresses typical of the 1880’s. The sleeves are not loose, but the skirt drapes down to the floor with volume. Short bangs like these, or curled, are common of women, and their hair was braided into a bun on the back. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1870
This lady, in her advanced age for the time, could very well have been born in the late 1700’s. A pelerine made of matching fabric drapes over her shoulders as an additional layer of outerwear. She has a white headcovering and long white ribbon tied at the neck. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1870
Possibly the same woman as before. Here she wears a heavier dress with loose sleeves and a matching pelerine over her shoulders. She wears a white cap with pleated frills. Her hand grasps what is likely the Holy Bible. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1890’s
This young man wears a common three-piece suit with a faint pinstripe plaid pattern. Only the top coat button is closed and the lapels are medium-sized. He wears a white dress shirt with a wide collar. He has a simple dark necktie tied in a more modern fashion. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
This man wears a common three-piece matching suit. His coat has a very narrow lapel buttoned at the top. He has a mid-toned shirt with a patterned necktie. His trousers appear to be made of cotton/wool jeans cloth. He wears short hair and has mutton chop style facial hair, or a mustache that connects to side burns. The camera is actually focused on the botanical background pattern. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Tintype circa 1880
This young man wears a three-piece suit and a casual wide-brim hat. The hem of his trousers taper at an angle upward toward the foot, which was common in the 1870’s. His boots appear to be Chelsea style with no laces. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1870’s
This man wears a checkered shirt with no collar, as well as a wool waistcoat with rounded lapels, and a thick coat with large lapels. There is slight blush tinting on his cheeks. The image appears to have been set in a round paper frame for many years. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
This man wears a large brim straw hat, as well as a three-piece suit. He has a white shirt with a wing-tipped collar and a light colored necktie. His coat is tailored well at the chest and sleeves, and the waistcoat buttons low at the diaphragm. He wears lighter toned trousers. His hand grips what is likely the Holy Bible. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1870
This appears to be one of my older tintypes. His style is reminiscent of 1860’s fashion, with the rounded waistcoat lapel, opened waistcoat buttons, and coat sleeves loose in the elbow. His style of longer hair and shaped facial hair were also popular during the 1860’s. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
A teenaged boy wears a three-piece suit comprising of a light waistcoat, dark coat buttoned at the top button, and mid-toned trousers. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1870’s.
A boy wears a double breasted waistcoat with a low buttoning checkered coat and matching dark trousers. He has unique neckwear, which appears to be a patterned silk fabric that is pinned with a decorative metal piece [see enlarged image]. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
A young boy wears a buttoned-up jacket with a small collar. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Circa 1890 tintype
A boy wears a loose-fitting three piece wool suit. His black bowtie appears to be a loose ribbon. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1880’s
A child and “hidden mother” portrait. This appears to be a young boy–keep in mind that both boys and girls wore dresses for the first few years of their lives in many American cultures until the mid 20th century. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Tintype circa 1890
A child and “hidden mother” portrait. This sort of lace collar and knee britches are related to the popular Little Lord Fauntleroy trend beginning in the mid 1880’s. Notice his vertically striped stockings and an open-faced pocket watch worn as a necklace. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
Circa 1870’s tintype in paper frame
This boy is wearing a fashionable three-piece suit of the time. His coat has peak lapels with a bit of velvet facing. The matching waistcoat buttons at the diaphragm. He wears a simple white dress shirt with a polka dot tie. There is slight blush tinting. Likely Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
