Plate Film Holder, 1870-1920

01

Artifact Overview

Wet plate photography was a primary photographic method until the invention of roll-film in the 1880s. Metal or glass plates were coated with light-sensitive collodion, placed into holders, and exposed in a camera. Before the plate dried, it was developed in a darkroom. Exacting and demanding, wet plate photography was the opposite of being a mobile, spontaneous, or user-friendly process.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic plate holder

Date Made

1870-1920

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2014.0.17.173

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cardboard
Glass (Material)
Iron alloy
Rubber (Material)
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 0.75 in
Length: 6.25 in
Width: 9.75 in

Inscriptions

handwritten: 11 / 12
Plate Film Holder, 1870-1920