Tintype (Ferrotype)
Direct-positive photographs on lacquered iron — cheap, durable, and iconic.
Antique 2.5x4in Tintype Bearded Man Suit Jacket Vest Oval Paper Sleeve
Antique 2.5x4in Tintype Young Woman Oval Paper Sleeve Mat Howard Stamp Back
Antique 2.5x4in Tintype Older Woman Plaid Dress Lace Collar Paper Sleeve
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Seated Young Man & Standing Woman Victorian Couple
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Handsome Man Suit Mustache Seated Portrait Photo
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Young Man Seated Rustic Bench Bowler Hat Backdrop
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Two Young Girls Matching Tinted Dresses Studio
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Man Dapper Suit Goatee Standing Column Studio
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Cute Baby Sitting in White Gown Dress Victorian
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Cute Baby Sitting Patterned Armchair Gown Dress
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Young Boy Plaid Outfit Suit Leather Boots Armrest
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Woman Handbag Standing Boy Seated Portrait Photo
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Seated Victorian Woman Dark Dress Lace Collar
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Young Couple Seated Man Standing Woman Victorian
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Young Child Plaid Dress Striped Socks Chair Portrait
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Handsome Seated Man Suit Bowtie Cane Studio Backdrop
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Baby Infant Long White Gown Dress Sitting Chair
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Large Family Group Portrait Children Victorian Era
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Victorian Family Group Top Hat Young Boy Bow Tie
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Seated Older Woman Shiny Dark Dress Hair Bun C1870
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Smiling Baby Sitting Floral Pattern Chair Necklace
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Two Victorian Women Standing Seated Full Length
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Little Girl Sitting Bench White Lace Collar Studio
Antique Sixth Plate Tintype Seated Woman Dark Dress Gold Ring Bow Collar
Tintypes (also called ferrotypes) are direct-positive photographs made on a thin sheet of lacquered iron. Cheap to produce and nearly indestructible, they were a fixture of itinerant photographers, fairgrounds, and seaside boardwalks from the American Civil War well into the 20th century — the longest production run of any 19th-century photo format.
HistoryOrigin & era
Invented in 1853 by Adolphe Alexandre Martin in Paris and patented in the United States by Hamilton Smith in 1856, the tintype shared its plate-size family with the daguerreotype and ambrotype — they were all made on the same camera plates. Unlike a CDV, every tintype is a unique direct-positive: there is no negative. Most are dark and slightly muddy because the image sits on a black-japanned iron base. They're heavier than they look — a magnet will stick to the back. Peak use was the 1860s–70s; street and boardwalk photographers were still making them into the 1930s.
IdentificationHow to spot a Tintype
- Magnetic — a small magnet sticks to the back. (Definitive test.)
- Slightly heavier than paper or glass photographs of the same size.
- Image often slightly dark, slate-grey, with a thin lacquer sheen.
- Edges sometimes show rust or japanning chips.
- Frequently found in paper sleeves, leather cases, or unmounted.
Tintype sizes
Tintypes share the standard American "plate" sizes with daguerreotypes and ambrotypes, plus a few formats unique to the cheaper itinerant trade.
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole plate | 6½ × 8½ in | 165 × 216 mm | Rare; mostly studio formal portraits. |
| Half plate | 4¼ × 5½ in | 108 × 140 mm | Uncommon; usually couples or small groups. |
| Quarter plate | 3¼ × 4¼ in | 83 × 108 mm | Common for higher-end portraits. |
| Sixth plate | 2¾ × 3¼ in | 70 × 83 mm | By far the most common size — the default. |
| Ninth plate | 2 × 2½ in | 51 × 64 mm | Often in small leather cases or lockets. |
| Sixteenth plate | 1⅜ × 1⅝ in | 35 × 41 mm | Tiny — sometimes set into jewelry. |
| Bon-ton | 2⅜ × 3½ in | 60 × 89 mm | Late-19th-century portrait format. |
| Gem tintype | ⅞ × 1 in | 22 × 25 mm | Tiny portraits set into albums or jewelry. |
| Card-mounted (CDV-style) | 2½ × 4 in | 64 × 100 mm | Tintype trimmed and pasted onto a CDV mount. |
Common questions
What is a tintype?
A tintype (also called a ferrotype) is a direct-positive photograph made on a thin sheet of lacquered iron. Each tintype is a unique one-of-a-kind image — there is no negative. Invented by Adolphe Martin in 1853 and patented in the U.S. by Hamilton Smith in 1856, tintypes were the cheapest form of photography of their day and stayed in use at fairs and boardwalks into the 1930s.
How can I tell if a photo is a tintype?
The definitive test is a magnet — it will stick to the back of a tintype because the base is iron. Tintypes are also noticeably heavier than paper photographs of the same size, slightly dark and slate-grey in tone, and often show a thin lacquer sheen on the surface.
Are tintypes valuable?
Most common 19th-century tintypes are modest in value ($10–$40) because they were produced cheaply by the millions. Cased tintypes, occupational portraits, outdoor scenes, Civil War soldiers, identified subjects, and large-plate (half- and whole-plate) examples can fetch hundreds to thousands of dollars.
What plate sizes did tintypes come in?
Tintypes used the same plate-size family as daguerreotypes — whole, half, quarter, sixth, ninth, and sixteenth plate — plus a few unique formats. The sixth plate (about 2¾ × 3¼ inches) is by far the most common. Tiny ‘gem’ tintypes (about an inch square) and card-mounted tintypes in CDV-style mounts are also frequently encountered.
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