Early Photographic Processes - Tintype Unframed

Tintype Photographs

Sixth-plate - unframed

Sixth Plate

Several tintype photos would be cut from a single sheet of metal.

In some cases, the resulting photos could be as small as 1 x 0.5 ins. The tintype below has been roughly cut to about 2.25 x 3.5 ins.

This would have been produced by making six prints onto a single whole-plate (8.5 x 6.5 ins) sheet of metal, then cutting it roughly into six with tin snips - each of the six being sixth-plate size.

Other sizes such as quarter-plate and ninth-plate were also popular.

Quarter Plate

This photograph of a man, a boy and a trophy is one of four that would have been roughly cut from a whole (8.5 x 6.5 ins) sheet of metal.

The metal is thin and easily bent, as in the example below. In common with most other similar tintype photos, there is no photographer's name on either the front or back of the image.

Front

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