About this artwork
In the years following its invention, photography was welcomed as a democratic art. Now members of nearly all classes could possess pictures of loved ones, a visual genealogy previously limited to ancestral oil portraits or painted miniatures. The tintype—a relatively quick process patented in 1856, but especially widespread from the Civil War through the 1930s—was one of the most inexpensive and popular forms of photography. Elaborately painted and framed, large tintypes such as this one might have pride of place on a parlor wall, filling many of the same functions as American folk portraits of earlier centuries. This frame bears the label “Electrograph” on the back, an establishment based in New England, but the identity of the girl and her pet remain unknown.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Photography and Media
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Artist
- Unknown
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Title
- Untitled
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Place
- United States (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1870–1910
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Medium
- Tintype
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Dimensions
- Plate, sight: 20 × 15 cm (7 7/8 × 5 15/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Purchased with funds provided by Anstiss Hammond Krueck in honor of her three daughters, Victoria, Valentine, and Ascha
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Reference Number
- 1994.41
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
