Tintype of a Young Boy

Photograph

Tintype of a Young Boy

ca. 1860

This tintype shows a young boy in an uncharacteristically casual pose, with one leg tucked up and his arms resting on the back of the chair. Boys would wear dresses until the age of three or four,  graduating to short pants with stockings before wearing the full length trousers of their adult counterparts. This child's hair is short and parted on the side, which is also an indication of the gender. Boy's dresses were often made from dark-colored fabrics, and decorated with military trims and braids. The white stockings and high-button shoes complete a very typical outfit for the 1860s.

Queen Victoria popularized plaid fabric with the purchase of Balmoral Castle in Scotland in 1852. The plaid design is very easy to manufacture and is an inexpensive way to introduce color into fabric.

The technique to produce a tintype was introduced in 1856, staying popular until the late 1860s. The rosy cheeks on this young boy were created by applying pigment to the surface of the metal. 

Donor: Mabel Etta Streeter Perrin, Maude Ide Streeter Crabbs

URI 1964.15.350

Bree Kieon
Susan J. Jerome