The Flickr Ambrotype Image Generatr

4x5

Ambrotype photograph, 4x5.

6th plate daguerreotype that I have posted before about 10 years ago but decided to post a better scan of it now that its been resealed and has less of those distracting specks. A well kept older gentleman wearing round spectacles and holding his cane firmly. He looks likes like a respectable figure perhaps a lawyer or doctor.

quarter plate daguerreotype of a little old lady with not one tooth left. Poor thing is all gums. She wears a dark wig and a nice day cap that she probably hand made herself. I like the small details of her cap. I imagine she must have been on a strict diet of gruel and apple sauce lol. probably born in the 1770s give or take.

I struggled to find a fitting title for this old gentleman at first. I like the portrait but its nothing extraordinary. No funny or weird facial features or pose jumps out at you yet I found his character and tone of the image pleasing to look at. Thus the title. The gentleman has pronounced cheek bones probably from his lack of teeth and I like his vest that looks like it has some subtle design. Perhaps some striping or floral design on the collar its hard to tell. He seems to have all his faculties in good order and I'm sure his family was pleased with the outcome of the family Patriarchs likeness.

This poor old lady paid good money for her likeness to be taken and what does the daguerreotypist do? Well he practically shoves her out of the studio lol. I mean really why in the world did they put granny way over in the corner haha its just so funny to me. It looks like someone should be standing beside her with hand resting on her shoulder or something the way she is posed. She Lived this long to have her first and probably last photo come out like this lol. Ok I'm done making jokes. The little lady sits in her corner clasping her hands together. She has lived to a very advanced age. I wouldn't be surprised if she was around 90 or so. She has a welcome spot in the collection and I enjoy looking at her and pondering over what she thought when handed her completed portrait.

6th plate daguerreotype of a wrinkled old man with a healthy head of hair. That was the first thing I noticed about the man lol no male pattern baldness in his family. His portrait is extremely sharp and in good condition considering it still has its original seals. It would look even better with new glass but until then he can still be viewed without issue. Whoever the maker of this daguerreotype was knew what they were doing and was quite successful in capturing every nook and cranny of his aged clients.

1860s of an elderly man I call Wolf Man. For obvious reasons I think you can come up with why I chose that name. The hair on this guy coming from every angle is astonishing. I don't think I've ever seen chest hair that long and his eyebrows are practically obscuring his vision at this point lol. He certainly has never heard of manscaping haha.

Another plate (this time an ambrotype) from the wetplate workshop, run by Dave Shrimpton ( www.instagram.com/dave_shrimpton/ ) out of Dimbola Lodge the other week.

Big thanks to www.instagram.com/momentarywonders/ for posing for this. No idea what I was trying to do, but I still like it 😂

Pure and simple I think is a fitting title for this old gal. She sits patiently looking at the photographer with a quiet and gentle demeanor. Her one hand grasping a book and the other hand laid on top to help keep everything steady. Her white day cap and dark dress really make the image "pop" so to speak. Her likeness has fallen victim to mishandling over time but she still presents well and gives the viewer a sense of ease.

This 6th plate Daguerreotype in excellent resealed condition is a top find for me this past weekend from the Washington D.C. antique photo show. It portrays the sitter William Reed in his late 60s early 70s depending on the exact year of the photo. The character is great the tones are rich and the focus is sharp. Here is a little information about our sitter.
William Reed, born on March 9, 1776, in Northumberland, England. He immigrated to America in 1801 and settled in Monroe County, New York. In 1806, he married Elizabeth Garbutt; they had nine children between 1807 and 1827. William died December 13, 1853, and is buried in Garbutt, NY. It is a mid to late 1840s daguerreotype portraying the sitter at about 70 years of age.

Quarter plate daguerreotype of an older quaker matron that sits stoically for her portrait. Her round deep set eyes stare into the distance as she tells herself not to blink! Her hair is undoubtedly a wig or dyed. She wears the typical garb of a quaker of her day and age. Her lips are sealed tight and her left hand is posed in an awkward manner. Her other hand appears to have a wedding band but on her middle finger. I wonder what that's about? Perhaps its just the finger it fits on. She was probably a modest and respectable woman in her church and community. She has light wipes across the majority of her portrait but it is still sharp and enjoyable to look at.

quarter plate daguerreotype of an old man. He is in his Sunday best with his large top hat and best cane. He still has power in that grip even though he was a little shaky. His other weathered hand lays awkwardly on top of a book on the side table. What character the man has. One of the few left from his generation no doubt. Probably voted for George Washington as a young man. This was a recent find from the Washington D.C. photo show and one of my favorite's from that trip.

Very few elders strike me in an instant anymore after seeing so many but this man was an exception. His eyes cold and piercing his sunken in cheeks and long white mane are reminiscent of the Revolutionary days. I have no doubt this man could most certainly be a revolutionary war vet. He looks so familiar but I have yet to figure out who he is and maybe I never will but his image has to be in a book somewhere I just know it. Written on the back is a bible verse that says "gray hairs are a crown of glory if they be found in the way of righteousness". Perhaps he was a reverend? Whoever he was he captures the attention and holds it drawing you in leaving you wanting to know more!

Vol. XLIII, No. 2.

Finding aid for this issue: militaryimagesmagazine.com/2025/03/01/the-spring-2025-issue/

6th plate daguerreotype of a rather large granny sitting in a high backed rocking chair. She has what appears to be blankets behind her back maybe to help her sit up straight for the photo or maybe just to not hurt her back. She loosely holds a hanky in her hands clasped in front of her belly. She stares meekly at the photographer capturing her likeness but couldn't keep those hands completely still nor her head. Her face is a little soft focus. I imagine she sat in that rocking chair and read many a story to all her children, grand children, and great grandchildren. Her many years on this earth show the life of a young lady during the time of the revolution leading a life of being a good house wife tending to the house and raising children for many many years.

Carte de visite by Frank Rowell of Boston, Mass. Colorists played a crucial role in a photographer’s studio, enhancing images on paper and plate with hand-applied color. Because early photographic processes—daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, and albumen prints—lacked natural color, colorists meticulously tinted them using watercolors, oils, or pastels. This process required both artistic skill and precision, as colorists applied realistic flesh tones, clothing hues, and background shading without obscuring photographic details.

Their work added vibrancy and lifelike qualities to portraits, making photographs more appealing to clients who desired realism. Colorists followed social conventions in coloring, often idealizing subjects by softening facial imperfections or enhancing clothing richness. They were especially important in large studios, where demand for personalized and elegant portraits was high. By bridging photography and traditional painting, colorists contributed to the evolution of photographic artistry, making images more expressive and valuable to customers of the time.

This colorist, his name currently lost in time, likely worked in the studio of David Franklin “Frank” Rowell (1832-1900) of Weare, N.H. He started his professional life as an ornamental painter and became a photographer in 1855. He is well-remembered for his business partnership with Edward L. Allen, with whom he received a gold medal for "carbon pictures" at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Rowell is also recognized for his work with dry plate and film processes. About 1870, he established a whittling school "to save young men from drifting into idleness of the crowded lines of employment, by developing and guiding the whittling habit into a useful application." It became part of the Boston Industrial School.

I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.

Peering towards heaven was the title given to this daguerreotype by the late great Dennis Waters in his Daguerreian forum in 1998. I cannot match the talent of the way he would describe images. But I think its a fitting title and decided to continue on with it. What an unusual pose. Off center looking upwards and part of the arm out of frame. What was the photographer trying to convey? Or maybe it was her idea. What was she trying to convey? these questions we will never have answers to but funny how such a slight change of pace with this era of portraits leaves us all guessing.