African American Family, circa 1864

01

Artifact Overview

Ambrotypes (meaning, "imperishable pictures") were popular in the mid-1850s through the 1860s. Glass plates coated with photosensitive collodion were exposed in cameras while wet. The resulting image on glass, backed with black material, appeared as a photographic positive. Ambrotypes replaced daguerrotypes as an affordable and convenient alternative; however, improvements in photographic processes soon led to widespread adoption of the tintype.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Ambrotype (Photograph)

Date Made

circa 1864

Subject Date

circa 1864

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

99.261.1.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Glass (Material)

Technique

Ambrotype (Wet collodion process)

Color

Gold (Color)
Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 6.125 in
Width: 5 in
Depth: 0.938 in