Daguerreotypes have a reflective surface, almost like a hologram. When viewed from one angle, a daguerreotype appears shiny and light, and from the other angle it is negative with a more matte finish.

How do you identify a daguerreotype?

Daguerreotypes are easily identified by a mirror-like, highly polished silver surface and its dually negative/positive appearance when viewed from different angles or in raking light. Daguerreotypes are typically housed in miniature hinged cases made of wood covered with leather, paper, cloth, or mother of pearl.

Are Ambrotypes valuable?

Ambrotypes typically feature a portrait of a little girl with rosy colored cheeks or an image of an Union soldier in a blue uniform. Collectors typically will pay between $35 to $350 for a good quality antique tintype in good condition.

What is the process of daguerreotype?

The Process The daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. To fix the image, the plate was immersed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate or salt and then toned with gold chloride.

What advantage did daguerreotypes have over Callotypes?

The calotype process produced a translucent original negative image from which multiple positives could be made by simple contact printing. This gave it an important advantage over the daguerreotype process, which produced an opaque original positive that could be duplicated only by copying it with a camera.