Original British Victorian Rifle Volunteer Sixth Plate Tintype Photograph Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Everything about this image, including its presentation, makes it a splendid memento of the British Victorian Era dating from the 1870s. This cased “Sixth Plate” (2.75 x 3.25 inch) tin type portrait shows an unidentified solider. He wears a dark uniform, kepi style cap, leather cross belt with S hook buckle and holds what appears to be a Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket and Yataghan Sword Bayonet with leaf spring button release.

The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the Territorial Force in 1908. Most of the regiments of the present Territorial Army Infantry, Artillery, Engineers and Signals units are directly descended from Volunteer Force units.

The image is behind glass held in an ornate brass mat with intricate designed edging the tintype. A gutta-percha case molded front and back. Interior of the case is lined in velvet with decorative diamond pattern. The case locks are present, though only one has its lock hook.

The tintype does have a very nice clean surface, with only one small area of the emulsion. The soldier is still clearly visible. Overall very nice condition.

Tintypes, originally known as or ferrotypes or melainotypes, were invented in the 1850s and continued to be produced into the 20th century. The photographic emulsion was applied directly to a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel, which produced
a unique positive image. Like the ambrotype, tintypes were often hand-colored. Customers purchased cases, frames, or paper envelopes to protect and display their images.

Primarily used for portraiture, each photo is a unique camera-exposed image and was available in the following standard-sizes. The most common size was the sixth plate.
– Imperial or Mammoth Plate – Larger than 6.5 x 8.5 inches
– Whole Plate – 6.5 x 8.5 inches
– Half Plate – 4.25 x 5.5 inches
– Quarter Plate – 3.25 x 4.25 inches
– Sixth Plate – 2.75 x 3.25 inches
– Ninth Plate – 2 x 2.5 inches
– Sixteenth Plate – 1.5 x 1.75 inches