Original U.S. Civil War Sixth Plate Tintype of Union Infantry Soldier with Kepi in Complete Thermoplastic Case by Holmes, Booth and Haydens

Original Item: Only One Available. Everything about this image, including its presentation, makes it a splendid memento of the Civil War. This Civil War cased "Sixth Plate" (2.75 x 3.25 inch) tintype portrait shows an unidentified soldier. He wears a standard frock coat of northern Federal or Union issue, as well as a regulation forage cap. He is wearing an M-1855 enlisted man’s leather waist belt & buckle with a cap pouch and bayonet attached.

The image is behind glass held in an ornate brass mat loaded with intricate designs edging the tintype. A leatherette case molded front and back with decorative patriotic designs completes the piece. Interior of the case is lined in velvet type material. The hinges and locking mechanism are still present but not entirely functional, as the hinges are very loose and the locking mechanism doesn’t work due to the looseness and some minor cracking in the case.

This is a wonderful picture, and comes ready for further research and display!

Tintypes
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
- Sixteenth Plate - 1.5 x 1.75 inches