Figure 1.--Thanks to English itineate photographes shooting tintypes we have a number of images taken outside the studio. Here a family had their portarit taken during a city park outing. We are not sure where, but London seems a good guess. Notice the right angle marks, this pobably came from some sort of case or mount. We are mot sure how to date it. The dealer thought the 1860s, we thought the 1870s more likely. The boy looks to be wearing a sailor-styled kilt suit.

Itinerant photographers (smudgers) began appearing on English streets, fairgrounds and at the seaside (1860s). They were taking instant photographs while the customer waited. At first collodion wet plate processes were used to take Ambrotype and Ferrotype (Tintype) photographs using a portable darkroom to sensitize and develop the images. These photographs were produced in minutes. Most of the English photographs we have found are studio CDVs and cabinet cards. We have found few tintypes, but believe that many were taken. We suspect that images may have deteriotated over time. Interestingly those that survived provide us fascinating views outside the studio. This is arare thing in the 19th centyry. This stree photography seems more prevalent in England than any other country. Unfortunately, many of these images do not seem to have survived prbably because of the chemistry involved they were nit as stable as paper albumen studio prints. We have a much larger American archive, but almost all were studio portarits. Stree photography was much less common.

Created: 4:54 AM 8/14/20192
Last updated: 4:54 AM 8/14/2019