Sixth-Plate Ambrotype

Sixth-Plate Ambrotype (1855 - 1865), 19th century portrait, ornate vintage Union 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.

Pictured within this spectacularly preserved vintage case is a family portrait of four young girls and their older brother, positioned front and center. All of the girls are wearing off-the-shoulder dresses, while the boy is clad in a traditional button-down period jacket. The image is bordered by an ornate gold frame, featuring the name, "J. W. Jones," engraved in each corner. Housed in a gorgeously embellished thermoplastic Union Case, the interior of the front cover is lined in emblazoned purple velvet. The case remains securely intact, attached at the hinges, and still retains the closure clasp, which is fully-functioning.

In fine condition, with some trivial surface marks.