Ferrotype. Metal photo couple. Woman shawl, jewelry and hat. Man Goatee beard. 1860. Victorian era. Armchair. Buffalo Bill

Ferrotype representing a couple in a traditional pose with a false decoration.
The woman wears a shawl, a hat and a piece of jewelry. The man, seated, wears a goatee beard very popular in the 1860s.
The plate has some crease marks but the photo is undamaged.
4 inches x 2 1/2 inches or 10cm x 6cm.

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The Ferrotype process was developed by the Frenchman Adolphe Alexandre Martin (1824-1896) who was looking for a process to improve the work of engraving on plates for printers.

Like the ambrotype, the ferrotype uses a photosensitive collodion base. This is spread on a 0.15 mm thick iron plate which has been previously covered with black varnish.
Simple, fast, inexpensive, the Ferrotype would experience enormous commercial success and would last until the eve of the Second World War in Europe.
Like other types of black and white images, Ferrotypes can be enhanced with colors applied with a brush by artisan photographers.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate.