Recently an unusual photographic image was brought in to the National Library New Zealand's National Preservation Office. The image looks exactly like a bare, bent tintype but is in fact a positive collodion photograph on heavy paper.
The owner (and descendent of Eliza, the sitter in the image) provided the following historical background: The image was most likely taken in the 1860s, probably before 1866, in either Devon or Hampshire, before Eliza emigrated to New Zealand. There is a possibility that Eliza may have arrived in NZ via Victoria, Australia, as her sister did. The inscription on the back notes the sitter's name as 'Miss' (not 'Mrs') and then 'Lost in NZ'. The woman in the image was born in Bradninch, Devon in 1838. In 1861 she was working as a cook in Nursling, near Winchester in Hampshire. In 1866 she and her husband had their only daughter baptised in Cheesehill, Winchester. In 1869 she was a widow in Lyttelton, New Zealand where she married a sea captain. In 1872 she died in New Zealand of TB. Vicki Heikell (Field Conservator) and I physically examined the item: * The image is supported on a heavy paper/light card that has been lacquered both sides, with (slightly deteriorated) japanning or similar. * Due to its paper base the item weighs much less than a tintype would. The paper fibres are visible through breaches in the emulsion & Japanning and there is no metal corrosion present. * There is a collodion image on one side, complete with a pour mark along the top edge. There is no silver mirroring, fading or delamination, even though the item displays physical damage indicating an eventful life. * The image is varnished and displays a restricted tonal range. Where there is no collodion emulsion the japanning can be seen, there are also marks that may be from the item being held during application of the collodion. * The retouching is consistent with that period; colouring on the skirt and cheeks, and the locket is picked out in gold paint. The clothing also fits with this period. * There is a dry, blotchy substance on the verso which may have been part of an original presentation, however there are no longer clear clues to how the item would have been presented. It is interesting to consider how it might have been processed. The paper doesn't appear translucent as it might if treated to be water-resistant; the fibres appeared 'normal' when seen with the naked eye and under the microscope. The paper edges were probably slightly less compressed but are clean-cut and certainly didn't obviously present as having been in a wet solution. Maybe it was processed as a larger sheet with multiple exposures and cut to size post-processing? No one we've contacted has seen an positive collodion image on lacquered paper before. Any idea/experience with how this image might have been displayed? We would very much welcome any further information. Ruth Oliver Photographs Conservator Alexander Turnbull Library +64 4 462 3987 National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Archives through August 2016 at http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/ Archives from September 2016 onward at https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
