A genuine antique gem tintype... depicting a strange young beauty with stylish curls and uncommonly unique hat. She is adorned by a blackened brass victorian link, an exquisitely detailed leaf and a tiny frosted midnight aqua glass drop. Strung upon delicate but sturdy blackened brass chain.
The form of tintype (also referred to as ferrotype or sometimes melainotype) known as a "gem" is a small photographic image usually anywhere from 3/4" to 1" wide and 1ΒΌ" high made possible by the use of a multi-lens camera with repeating back which therefore could produce multiple exposures on a single photographic plate. In terms of quantity, the gem was the most prolifically produced form of photograph in the 1860s in America. Aside from the speed of its production, the gem was also inexpensive and its small size made it suitable for mounting in jewelry such as lockets and brooches. Like daguerreotypes and ambrotypes before it, hand colouring was also possible and rouging of the subject's cheeks was the most common form of this.
Measurements:
length - 17 inches
tintype - .75 x 1 inch
*Each tintype is coated in a layer of polyurethane varnish to protect against any further aging or deterioration during normal wear.
*Not intended for wear in the shower.
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