Figure 1.--This is a very early American CDV from the early 1860s. Note the elaborately tinted table coloring. This was much more common in Daguerreotypes from the 1840s and 50s.

Long before commercial color photography was available, we note consumer interest in color. And photographers attempted to meet this demand. As early as the 1850s, artists touching up Daguerotype portraits. Usually the Daguerotype tinting was minor such as adding rosy cheeks or gold in jewelry. But we see some beautifully tinted Dags. A wonderful example is an unidentified Baltimore family. In fact tinting dags seems more common thzn the other processes that were developed. We also note minor tin-type tinting. We also note ambtotype tinting. It does not seem to have been very common, at least elborate tinting. Albumen prints became the dominant format in the 1860s. First CDVs and then cabinent cards. We do not notice many tinted cards, but they are not a rarity. A good example of a colorized CDV is an American boy, Tom K. Christie in 1867. There seem to be fewer than is the case for Dags, especilly when you consider the explosion in the number of photographic portraits taken. Some enlargements were made and colorized. Next came silver gelatin prints after the turn-of-the 20th century. Most were at first done as sepia prints. We rarely see tinted prints.

Daguerreotypes

Long before commercial color photography was available, we note as early as the 1850s, artists touching up Daguerotype portraits. Usually the Daguerotype tinting was minor such as adding rosy cheeks or gold in jewelry. But we see some beautifully tinted Dags. A wonderful example is an unidentified Baltimore family. In fact tinting dags seems more common than the other processes that were developed.

Tin Types

We also note minor tin-type tinting. This may reflect the fsct that the tin-type was a cut rate process.

Ambrotypes

We also note ambtotype tinting. It does not seem to have been very common, at least elborate tinting. Adding blush to the cheeks does seem to have been fairly common.

Albumen Prints

Albumen prints became the dominant format in the 1860s. First CDVs and then cabinent cards. We do not notice many tinted cards, but they are not a rarity. A good example of a colorized CDV is an American boy, Tom K. Christie in 1867. We also notice a CDV of Frank Clifton. We think in the 1860s, possibly the early 70s. There seem to be fewer than is the case for Dags, especilly when you consider the explosion in the number of photographic portraits taken. Some enlargements were made and colorized. Coloring albumen prints may have been more common in Europe than in America.

Gelatin Prints

Next came silver gelatin prints after the turn-of-the 20th century. Most were at first done as sepia prints. We rarely see tinted prints.

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Created: 3:14 AM 7/26/2008
Last updated: 6:06 AM 11/11/2009