An extraordinary pair of half-plate ambrotype portraits of a couple (possibly husband and wife), circa 1850s
A uniform pair of cased images on glass (visible image size 115 × 83 mm with an arched top; external dimensions 180 × 145 mm), undisturbed in the original sealed units, behind glass with three layers of contrasting mat.
Textured paper binding around the edges of the glass lightly rubbed, with minimal loss; short scratch to one sheet of glass below the bottom edge of the portrait; a charming offering in excellent condition.
'An ambrotype is comprised of an underexposed glass negative placed against a dark background. The dark backing material creates a positive image. Photographers often applied pigments to the surface of the plate to add color, often tinting cheeks and lips red and adding gold highlights to jewelry, buttons, and belt buckles. Ambrotypes were sold in either cases or ornate frames to provide an attractive product and also to protect the negative with a cover glass'. Patented in 1854, they 'were most popular in the mid-1850s to mid-1860s. Cartes de visite and other paper print photographs, easily available in multiple copies, replaced them' (Library of Congress). The presentation of these portraits is anything but standard practice. In both instances, the glass positive has been intricately cut out around the subjects. The thickness of the glass plate, the hand-coloured background behind the cut-out portraits, and the depth of the case create the distinct impression of a three-dimensional colour image. The subjects are unidentified; the items were purchased in England, and we presume them to have been produced there. [2 items].
Item #114885
Price (AUD):
$5,000.00