[Three Children]

Even as the daguerreotype process died out in the 1850s, its cheaper and more durable cousin, the tintype, continued to be popular for decades. At the low end, as in the coin-size “gem” tintypes in the album displayed to the right, the products of itinerant artisans or run-of-the-mill studios exhibited little artistry but still provided people with a treasured record of their own faces or those of loved ones. At the high end, great care was given to the studio setup, the posing, and the preparation of the finished product, as in this beautiful tintype of three children dressed in their Sunday finest and bound together as a family unit through their poses. The photographer or his assistant has given a touch of extra life and richness with a hint of rouge retouching on the cheeks and a sparkle of gold on the pendant, ring, and watch fob.