A Brief History of Tintype Photography

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THE CAMERA: 

I use several cameras for my tintype images, but my main workhorse is an Eastman Kodak 2-D 8x10 camera built in 1948, decked out in cherry wood and brass. She's a beauty. Much of her life was spent shooting incredible large-scale panoramas of the American West by a famous photographer based in Colorado. He sold it to me in 2025, and the camera is now on a new adventure!

THE LENS: 

My main lens is a Voigtlander 'Heliar' 11 3/4" brass lens in f4.5, constructed in 1899. Aside from being a timelessly beautiful work of art in its own right, it renders gorgeous, flawless images. I've wondered often the pictures it's taken, and the scenes it has taken in over its 135+ year life!

THE METHOD: 

I use one of the earliest methods of photography, most prevalent between 1851 and 1890. Called "wet plate collodion," "ferrotype," or "tintype" photography, it was seemingly left behind for a quicker, easier, cheaper form of photography. Only a small group of die-hard enthusiasts carried this art form forward. That is, until 1978, when John Coffer decided to travel around the United States in a covered wagon pulled by his beloved horse, 'Brownie.' With this almost decade-long journey of over 11,000 miles, Coffer nearly single-handedly revived tintype photography to what it is today. The tintype revival is in full-swing, with many prominent artists such as Shane Balkowitsch, Joseph Wyman Brown, Joni Sternbach, Giles Clement, Justin Borucki, and Blake Wylie -  among many others - rocking the current tintype landscape. 

THE PROCESS: 

The process...it's a lengthy one, strap in! First, the tintypist will take a thin piece of metal, called a 'plate,' most often made of aluminum or tin. One side of the plate is blackened (see below, "Japanning"). Then, they will coat one side with a mixture called "collodion," which is comprised of several ingredients including Cadmium Iodide, Bromide, distilled water, collodion, Ethyl ether, and Ethyl alcohol. Then, that coated plate will be soaked in a bath of silver nitrate. After that, it is loaded into the plate holder in the dark room, and that plate holder containing the newly sensitized plate is carried to the camera and inserted. The shot is then exposed, and the plate holder is then carried back to the darkroom, where the exposed image is removed, treated with developer (a solution generally comprised of ferrous sulfate, glacial acetic acid, alcohol, sugar, and distilled water). It is then rinsed, and is ready for the fixer (a number of types are popular, such as cyanide-based, ammonium sulfate, or sodium sulfate). Once the image magically appears, it is rinsed again to stop the process, and is soaked. After it has properly soaked, it can be dried, varnished, and is ready for generations of enjoyment!

"JAPANNING" THE TIN: 

I use two types of plates: one where the black side is pre-prepared and covered in a protective plastic that the photographer can peel off just before shooting. These are very convenient, and render beautiful prints. The old school tin typists of yesteryear would have marveled at this development! The other type of plate I use is made from actual tin (making it an authentic 'ferrotype'), and is hand-blackened by me, Rawhide, in a very time-consuming, laborious, expensive process, which I will describe and give a brief history of, and explain why I would go through all that extra time and effort to do. 

"Japanning" dates back to 17th century Japan, where incredibly gifted Japanese artisans created a special form of sturdy, beautiful lacquer for furniture, dishes, and tools. The artisans most known for this were located in and around Kyoto. Around 1680, this method started to become a craze in Europe, and the Europeans attempted to replicate the method. By the early 1700's, it had  become known as a European craft as well. Tintypes came on the scene in the early 1850's, and soon tintypists were using the 'Japanning' method to blacken their plates, as it was a highly durable and glossy deep black finish they needed. Before 'Japanning,' tintypists would use basic dark varnishes & laquers, pretty much anything that would make one side black and not peel off or fade. This new 'Japanning' technique rendered images that were not only longer lasting, but the image itself had richer, deeper tones. It was just a far superior method!

Fast forward to today, and while tintype photography has seen a niche resurgence of sorts, the group within that niche that hand-'Japans' their own tintype plates is VERY small. One expert has posited that there might be under 20 tintypists in the world today 'Japanning' their own tin plates. 

I decided to 'Japan' my own plates for several  reasons. 

1) It's a very traditional method that dates back centuries in general, and to the 1850's in regards to tintypes. It is the most durable & long lasting method known. 

2) It is a very time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive process. I personally enjoy that process, and I think it can make a plate even more special to the person receiving it knowing that so much time and effort went into creating it.

3) I love the process! Nothing about tintype photography is fast and easy, so why cut corners on one of the most important aspects? I wanted my customers to have the choice. 

I offer both the newer 'peel off' aluminum plates, as well as my own 'hand-Japanned' tin plates. It gives my customers a choice in price, and to some the savings are worth it...while to others, the extra cost of the 'hand-Japanned' plate is worth it. Options! Options are always a good thing, so I try to offer as many as I can. 

A bit of insight into making a 'Japanned' plate: I start off with my own recipe of 'Japanning' elixir, comprised of powdered asphaltum, boiled linseed oil, and gum spirits turpentine. I cook this at a specific temperature until it's ready, while wearing a full gas mask with face shield - the fumes from this part of the process can be unsavory. This part can get quite messy! I then pour the mixture into a glass container and, taking small amounts, I hand filter it. This filtration process takes a good bit of time and is pretty tiring on the hands, as the mixture is thick and needs to be worked vigorously through the filter. And it's messy as heck! Then, the concoction is ready to put on the tin plates. I'll pre-heat a tin plate, then apply the 'Japanning'  mixture on to the plate, and bake that plate for 2 hours at a specific temperature. Then I let it cool down. After it's sufficiently cooled, I apply a second coat, baking another 2 hours and increasing the temperature. I repeat the process a third time, again baking for 2 more hours at the final cook temperature. Three coats, six hours of bake time. I let the plates cool down and cure for at least 10 days, where I'll then store them individually to maintain the beautiful, deep black glossy finish. And...did I mention it's a messy process? 

But...it's a process I love, knowing that for those that choose the 'Japanned' plate option, they are getting an extra layer of an amazing labor of love. 

And that extra layer of love...did I mention it's messy??  :)