Can old tintypes be restored?
Tintypes are valuable capsules of history and should only be directly worked on by an archival specialist. Today virtually all tintype images needing restoration are restored digitally on the computer.
Collectors typically will pay between $35 to $350 for a good quality antique tintype in good condition. Tintypes are more common photographs of the Victorian era and thus, they are not as valuable as ambrotypes or daguerreotypes which are more rare.
How long will my tintype last? Tintypes are extremely unique photos due to the process and materials involved and can last 100 years+ making them incredible heirlooms.
Tintypes are extremely succeptable to damage. You can easily scratch off or wipe off the image. The metal should be stored in a glass container so that it is not touched by anything and does not need to be dusted. Even a soft dusting might wipe away portions of the image.
A tintype may be stored in an acid-free paper folder or envelope, or wrapped in acid-free tissue and placed in a storage box. It's best to keep it lying flat. For display, the tintype should be supported evenly on a mount or lie flat.
This tintype photo of Billy the Kid, created around 1880, was just sold for $2.3 million in June 2011.
Tintypes are attracted to a magnet, while Ambrotypes and Daguerreotypes are not. The Daguerreotype image has a magical, mirror-like quality. The image can only be seen at certain angles. A piece of paper with writing will be reflected in the image, just as with a mirror.
Identifying characteristics: The thickness of the card stock, the color of its borders and whether it has rounded corners (1870s to 1900) or square corners (after 1900) can often help determine the date of a photograph. Many prints also included the name and location of the photography studio on the bottom of the card.
The tintype plates can be stored indefinitely in the clear archival sleeves or acrylic frames that you will receive them in. You don't need to worry about UV light (sunlight) — tintypes do not fade, in fact they appear even more magical when viewed in direct light.
The easiest way to detect the fakes is with a 10X loupe. All original photographs (including tintypes) are continuous tone images. That is they go smoothly from white to various grays to black. Printing presses, however, cannot produce a continuous tone.
Can you scan a tintype?
If you have a tintype, you should make a copy to display so the original can be kept safely stored. You can either scan a copy or take a photograph of the tintype.
Rusting. The most significant preservation risk to tintypes is exposure to water and high humidity, which will lead to oxidation and rusting.
Record prices in excess of $30,000 have been paid for individual daguerreotypes at auction. At a 1988 Sotheby's auction, a group of 11 daguerreotypes brought more than $50,000. A common portrait (many are found in hand-tinted color) of an unknown individual in clean condition generally fetches about $30.
Like prints, negatives and transparencies should be stored in a cool, dry location. Fortunately, many negatives now return from the photo lab stored in plastic pocket pages that appear to be safe for the films (they frequently are polyethylene).
Identifying characteristics: The thickness of the card stock, the color of its borders and whether it has rounded corners (1870s to 1900) or square corners (after 1900) can often help determine the date of a photograph. Many prints also included the name and location of the photography studio on the bottom of the card.
The easiest way to detect the fakes is with a 10X loupe. All original photographs (including tintypes) are continuous tone images. That is they go smoothly from white to various grays to black. Printing presses, however, cannot produce a continuous tone.
Record prices in excess of $30,000 have been paid for individual daguerreotypes at auction. At a 1988 Sotheby's auction, a group of 11 daguerreotypes brought more than $50,000. A common portrait (many are found in hand-tinted color) of an unknown individual in clean condition generally fetches about $30.
Tintypes, originally known as or ferrotypes or melainotypes, were invented in the 1850s and continued to be produced into the 20th century. The photographic emulsion was applied directly to a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel, which produced a unique positive image.
