Original U.S. Civil War Federal Soldier Close to Sixth Plate Tintype Photograph

Original Item: Only One Available. Everything about this image, including its presentation, makes it a splendid memento of the Civil War Era. This  (close to) "Sixth Plate" (Approximately 3.25 x 4.25 inches) tintype portrait shows an unidentified Union solider. He wears a Federal Frock Coat with 9 Brass buttons along with a Kepi, service belt, cross slung cartridge box and a musket with a bayonet. There is what looks like a corps badge on his kepi. The image is clear and crisp. This example is actually roughly 2½ x 4” and does not conform to any of the normal sizes, but it is closest to the sixth plate.

The image is behind glass held in an ornate brass mat loaded with intricate designs edging the tintype. This is a standalone photo as there is no ornate case in which it's fixed in. There very well could have been a decorative case but it is long since lost to history.

Overall very nice condition.

Tintypes, originally known as or ferrotypes or melainotypes, were invented in the 1850s and continued to be produced into the 20th century. The photographic emulsion was applied directly to a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel, which produced a unique positive image. Like the ambrotype, tintypes were often hand-colored. Customers purchased cases, frames, or paper envelopes to protect and display their images.

Primarily used for portraiture, each photo is a unique camera-exposed image and was available in the following standard-sizes. The most common size was the sixth plate

- Imperial or Mammoth Plate - Larger than 6.5 x 8.5 inches
- Whole Plate - 6.5 x 8.5 inches
- Half Plate - 4.25 x 5.5 inches
- Quarter Plate - 3.25 x 4.25 inches
- Sixth Plate - 2.75 x 3.25 inches
- Ninth Plate - 2 x 2.5 inches