Photo Number 508

We will look at some babies in carriages!

This is a Gem Tintype, I purchased it in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  Gems are very small.  The actual photo is 1 inch by 1 1/2 inch, then it is put into the paper frame.  The whole thing measures 1 3/4 inch by 2 3/4 inch.  This one seems to have a decorative stamp around the opening. I have not seen one like it before.

Gems are sometimes said to be the size of a postage stamp.

Sometimes when a tintype was made a multiplying camera was used, more lenses were added to the camera box and many images could be created at once.  They were cut apart and put into folders, locket or frames.  You would have a number of images to share with friends and family..or to mail to family far away.

We will make no assumptions about the pink color either..pink used to be “the boy” color years ago. Pink was in the family of red colors and considered bold.  Blue was considered more dainty and for girls.  Thoughts on colors changed after WWII according to some sources and not until the 1950’s according to others.

So we don’t know the gender of the baby in the carriage, but we can assume that he or she has an older sister..at least I think so because of the hat.  The year?  It could be anytime 1860 to 1900.

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Photo Number 454

This was tucked into the back of the Nettie Parks album.

This is a “Gem” tintype.  It is called a gem because of it’s size.  The tintype is 1 inch by 1 1/4 inch.  The card measures 1 3/4 inch by 2 3/4 inches.   Gems are sometimes said to be the size of a postage stamp.

Sometimes when a tintype was made a multiplying camera was used, more lenses were added to the camera box and many images could be created at once.  They were cut apart and put into folders, locket or frames.  You would have a number of images to share with friends and family..or to mail to family far away.

I have looked and looked at this image..tintypes were popular from 1860 to 1900.  I think it is a boy, either with long hair or sitting in a strange chair. What do you think?

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Photo Number Eighty-Eight

This is a "gem" tin type, very small about the size of a postage stamp.  I do not even begin to understand the camera that was used..I do find the process interesting!  Gems were made by using a multi lens camera with a repeating back.  They could copy the image onto the entire plate..so that many of these little gems could be made at one time..and used in carte de vistes (calling cards) ..or jewelry.

Norkio wrote: The image of the man is the smallest.  The image size is less than 1" with a bit more inside the card.  His was damaged by water but the actual plate is not in bad shape, except for a chip on it.  The tin types were all found in a trunk belonging to a deceased relative of my friend's friend.  It is unknown who the people are or even where some of the images were made.


I want to thank Norkio for emailing me these tin types..it has been very interesting to venture into this area of photography!
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