Anonymous
Carnival Tintypes, 1870s-80s
Tintypes (19)
Each 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
In the 1860s and 70s, the tintype exploded in popularity due to its affordability and accessibility, earning it the status of, “the photo of the people.” Because of this ubiquitousness,...
In the 1860s and 70s, the tintype exploded in popularity due to its affordability and accessibility, earning it the status of, “the photo of the people.” Because of this ubiquitousness, the humorous trope of trick portraiture entered the American lexicon as a widely understood joke. These images represent an early collective awareness that the photograph can be adapted to provide an alternate reality or used as a means of transgression.