Tintype Photograph of African American Baby, C. 1870

Tintype photograph of African American baby. C. 1870. Measuring 2.5" x 4.5" inches. The baby wears a white smock and sits propped in a chair, eyes wide and focused off camera, expression curious. This photo comes from a time just after emancipation when African Americans were creating new lives for themselves, since Tintypes were invented in 1855 and used mostly during the 1860s and 1870s and is an original photographic image on a thin sheet of metal or iron that has been coated with a dark lacquer or enamel. Photography was one way to commemorate freedom and memorialize family life, a practice not possible under slavery when African Americans did not (truncated) have access to photography or the means to procure it. Minor bending to tintype, wear and some scratches. 3 corners clipped. The image focus and clarity is very good. In good condition overall. (Inventory #: 17944)