Early Photo Formats
The first photographs were daguerrotypes. Introduced in 1839, they replaced painting as the medium used to capture the image of a person or scene. Only the wealthy could afford them. Then came the tintype, which captured an image on a flattened piece of iron. It was affordable and spread the popularity of photography around the world.
These images, dating back to the late 1800s, come from the collection of a Bay Area family that I organized in 2025. The tintypes were sized from roughly 2” x 3” to 4” x 6”. The images of the man on a horse (far left) and the saddle shop (second from right) were surprisingly sharp, clear and in good condition. Note: You should wear cotton or powder-free nitrile gloves when handling old print photos, slides or home movie film. We have oils on our hands that can damage old photos, slides and film.