Posted 12 years ago
janpentz
(7 items)
I bought this 6th plate sized ambrotype mainly for the terrific patriotic mat, not the cute baby (although the baby is adorable). When I got it home I took it apart to remove the mat and clean the glass. Wow!!! I made what I think is a great discovery. The baby is being held by a partially hidden black nanny. I don't know if it was taken in the South, but I do know it was from around the Civil War.
wow - amazing photograph and frame, but I particularly like the nanny discovery! Very ghostly without her face, and such a symbolic statement from another era...
Thanks Guys.....My passion for Dags and Ambrotypes is not appreciated around my house. Family thinks I'm a cross between an eccentric and a hoarder!!!! I really enjoy these early images. It's history.
The patriotic matting dates from the Civil War (1861- 1865)-- the star numbers do NOT represent the date it was made.
There were several of these types of mats that were produced during the Civil War. They were fairly popular but limited to Sixth and Ninth plate sizes (although there were some shield mats made for Quarter plate images).
Scott
Can you add an image without the smaller square matting?
It appears it would show more of the woman's face.
Scott
American ambrotypes were produced during a very small time period. They date from about 1854 until about 1863. It is very unusual to find a post Civil War American ambrotype.
In the UK, the process remained popular until the turn of the century.
Scott
Here is a link to a SIXTH plate matting that was also made during the Civil War:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/44105-civil-war-patriotic-photographic-matting?in=user
Scott