Figure 1.--This colorized salt print portrait shows an unidentified American boy wearing what looks like a dress and simple pinafore. Note the long stockings with red stripes. As best we can tell, the colorization process for a salt print was often different than an albumen (CDV and cabinet) print. Because these prints were sharply focused, the studio usually just applied color. Because a salt print was not well focused, often colorizers did more than add color. They drew on the image to bring out details. They were no creating detail, but trying to bring out details that the salt print process did not capture. Salt prints were primarily done in tge 1840s abnd 50s. This looks like it coukd habe been done in the 1870s.

As with other formats, we see tinted colorized images. Here our information is limited because we have so few examples to analyze. As best we can tell, the colorization process for a salt print was often different than an albumen (CDV and cabinet) print. Because these prints were sharply focused, the studio usually just applied color. Because a salt print was not well focused, often colorizers did more than add color. They drew on the image to bring out details. They were no creating detail, but trying to bring out details that the salt print process did not capture. This was not facial details, but clothing details. The colorization artists might outline itemns like cravats or floppy bows. Other items like shoes might also be outlines. Featutes on clothing like lace, ruffles, and buttons were also outlined. The colorists also might better define patterns like stripes.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits] [Sailor hats] [Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores]

Created: 12:57 AM 11/3/2010
Last updated: 12:57 AM 11/3/2010