Untitled (Portrait of Boy Leaning) 1850 - 1899

This small portrait was produced using the tintype process, a photographic technique popular in the late 19th century. A thin sheet of iron is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposed in a camera, and then developed to create a direct positive image. The tintype's materiality influenced its widespread use. It was inexpensive, quick to produce, and durable, making it accessible to a broader segment of the population than earlier photographic methods. The dark, reflective surface of the iron support gives the image a unique visual quality, with a slightly soft focus and rich tonal range. This portrait likely served as an affordable memento for the family of the boy pictured. The rise of photography and its dissemination throughout society, enabled by the tintype and other processes, democratized portraiture. Instead of being only for the upper classes, now it was available to a wider range of people. The history of photography is the history of craft and technology meeting a social need.