THE AMBROTYPE 1852-1870

The Ambrotype photograph is a glass plate negative mounted with   a black backing making  the negative appears as a positive.
The background is made of paper, velvet or lacquer and is usually housed in a case, often ornate, much like its more famous and expensive cousin, the Daguerrotype.

About the Restoration.

With great care we removed the glass plate from the case and were happy to find that the backing was paper and not totally stuck to the glass. Only small pieces remained after removal.
Then a high resolution scan was made.
The negative suffered from severe mold, dirt and oxidation damage resulting in a darkened and muddy image.
The physical damage was repaired digitally almost pixel by pixel with Photoshop.
Tone and contrast adjustments were made to return it to its original clarity.
At the very last the rosy cheeks were painted back in.
The end product was an 8X10” custom print made by Picture Renewal.

“ I cannot believe how wonderful this looks...I could tell you love the classics.”
  - Sally R.
    Lexington, MA

For further information, we recommend:
Ambrotype
Real or Repro
Image Permanence Institute