The last big antique show I went to, I picked up
this photograph on glass. The image is a positive one,
not a negative, and it might be an Ambrotype, but I'm
not sure. Ambrotypes were made in the 1850's and
1860's, and had a dark backing applied to the back of
the image. This glass plate has no backing, and no case,
and I think these clothes are more modern, like from
the 1880's.
Since it has no backing, the image can be difficult to see.
I love the faces and the clothes in this image.
In my recent spree of playing with sun printing using
Inkodye, I thought I could use this photo to make
sun print. I was careful to protect the old image, so
the dye wouldn't touch it.
After I put the dye on the fabric, I smoothed a layer
of plastic wrap on top. Then I layed the glass print
on top.
This is what the fabric looked like after I removed the
glass.
And, this what the final fabric looked like.
I'm impressed with how many of the details were picked
up on the fabric transfer. Eerie, aren't they? And the
glass plate wasn't injured. Success.