African American Portraits, 1860s-1880s

One hope in posting this new collection of, primarily, hand-painted tintype portraits of African American men, women, and children is to have as many people as possible view the images, leading to someone recognizing and identifying the sitters. Could you help us by sharing this with others? To enlarge the image, just click on it.


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype





Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1870, hand-colored albumen silver print




Unknown sitter, ca. 1860s, hand-colored salted paper print


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1860s, hand-colored salted paper print


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1860s, hand-colored salted paper print


Unknown sitter, ca. 1880, hand-colored full-plate tintype


Unknown sitter, ca. 1860s, hand-colored salted paper print in frame


Portrait of Sally Rice, Bourbon, Georgia, ca. 1860s, hand-colored albumen silver print


Purchased with funds from the Graphic Arts Collection, African American Studies, and Women’s Studies.

A good source of information is Stanley B. Burns, Forgotten marriage, the painted tintype & the decorative frame, 1860-1910: a lost chapter in American portraiture (New York: Burns Press, Burns Collection, 1995). Marquand Library (SAPH): Photography, Oversize TR680 .B871 1995q. See their website: http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/forgotten_marriage/