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Description
11 x 13 Whole Plate Opalotype Portrait (Photograph on Milk Glass)
portrait of a Victorian lady named Sarah Campbell of Charleston,South Carolina in frame. The opalotype process patented in 1857, while not widely used, also evolved throughout the history of photography and could be made with either collodion or gelatin as the light-sensitive emulsion coating. Opalotypes were named for the substrate, opal glass, a translucent white glass. They were also called milk-glass positives. Opalotypes evoked the look of portrait miniatures painted on ivory. Two basic techniques were used to make an opalotype. One involved the transfer of a print to a milk-glass substrate, and the other used a negative to print directly on light-sensitive emulsion applied to the milk glass. Some examples were hand-tinted to enhance their resemblance to painted miniatures.This portrait from the later nineteenth century would have to be considered a very fine example of its type. It is also a credit to both the artistry of the photographer and the craftsmanship of the technique. As stated the lady with the spectacular jewelry is identified as Sarah Campbell of Charleston, South Carolina.
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