Untitled (Portrait of a Man Holding a Newspaper and Wearing a Straw Hat)
1868
Medium
Tintype
Dimensions
8.3 × 7 cm (3 5/16 × 2 13/16 in.); Open case: 9.5 × 16.2 × 1 cm (3 3/4 × 6 7/16 × 7/16 in.); Case: 9.5 × 8.1 × 1.7 cm (3 3/4 × 3 1/4 × 11/16 in.); Plate: 8.3 × 7 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249951
Art Historical Context
This intimate tintype portrait from 1868 captures an unidentified man in a moment of everyday poise, clutching a newspaper while sporting a straw hat. The small scale—measuring just 8.3 × 7 cm—suggests it was a cherished personal keepsake, housed in a protective case typical of the era. Produced by an unknown maker, it exemplifies the tintype process, a revolutionary wet-collodion technique on thin iron sheets that created direct positives without negatives. Affordable and durable, tintypes democratized photography, allowing ordinary folks to own professional-looking images. Created shortly a...