PHOTOGRAPH, ambrotype, hand painted, in case

Photograph of Francis Wemyss late 1850s ca; probably taken in Tasmania; hand painted ambrotype of child and mother (?), tinted pink, portrait; gilt framed, in embossed case, case broken at hinges and back; case lined in cut velvet.

Conservation description 28/01/2010:
Wet positive photograph in case. The case is composed of a thin wooden structure with a dark brown embossed paper (leather?) cover. Cover is highly embossed and patterned. Gold painted decorative border on external and internal edges. Inside cover is a red / burgundy patterned velvet (cotton?) with foral motifs around the edges and a central motif of flowers in a vase. Two metal (copper alloy) loops on proper right side for clasps. Registration number is applied with black ink on the wooden substrate of the back cover. There is also a dark brown (possibly originally black) velvet cotton textile to enhance the positive image under the glass plate negative.

Photograph is an ambrotype (wet collodion positive) on glass plate negative with collodion applied on the back to create a positive image. The subjects are a seated woman and a girl and has hand painted finishes in red and gold including the bow on the seated woman,her cheeks, her necklace and ring. The cover glass and glass plate negative have been taped together along the edges with a self adhesive paper tape. The inner matte and outer frame are composed of brass (a copper and zinc alloy as analysed by p-XRF). Outer frame has an ornate floral border and the inner matte is cut out in a rectangular shape with rounded corners and a more geometric style border.

Department: 

Collection

History Collection

Collection Item Data