The tin type or ferrotype was invented in France in 1852. As a photographic process it survived for a very long time,  early into the 1900's.  For the most part, the reason for this was the ease of the process, & the low cost of the materials.  The tintype became the portrait medium of the masses.  Tintypes were not only standard portraits, but they were put into small envelopes & used like a post card (cartes) & even tiny "Gem Prints" less than a postage stamp in size to be placed in lockets. An interesting characteristic of tintypes is the fact that they are backwards. Either people didn't notice or they just didn't care.

The process to produce tintypes is almost identical to that of the Ambrotype, except that the emulsion was coated on an enameled or japanned piece of metal rather than glass.

Kits with materials to make tintypes are available today from the Rockland Gallery.

Tintypes made photography available & affordable to almost anyone.