Plate Film Holder, 1908-1920

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

1908-1920

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2014.0.17.170

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cardboard
Iron alloy
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 0.5 in
Length: 6 in
Width: 8.75 in

Inscriptions

stamped, exposure cover: PAT. JUNE 22-08 handwritten, frame: 33 / 34
Plate Film Holder, 1908-1920