Untitled (Portrait of Two Standing Women and One Seated Man) 1880

This small portrait, now in the Art Institute of Chicago, was created anonymously using the tintype process. A photographic image is created directly on a thin sheet of metal, lacquered or enameled black. The result is a unique positive image, wonderfully fragile, with a slightly ghostly quality. The tintype emerged in the 1850s and quickly became popular. Unlike earlier photographic methods, it didn't require a darkroom or extensive training. Tintypes democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider range of people. This, in turn, fueled a boom in itinerant photographers, travelling from town to town, setting up temporary studios, and offering affordable portraits. Consider the labor involved in the whole process. From mining the raw materials for the metal plate and chemical solutions, to the photographer’s careful work, and finally, to the sitter’s careful pose. All these steps, and the wider economic systems that enable them, are embedded in the final image. Understanding how things are made helps us appreciate their social and historical significance.