Long before film rolls and megapixels, photographs were made using metal plates covered in photosensitive chemicals. One of the most iconic and influential of these early photo technologies are tintypes.
Photographer Roberto Serrini received an antique camera as a gift from his father: a Rochester Premo B. Curious to see what it was like shooting with this camera as if it was 1893, Serrini decided to give see what that process was like.
Back in the days before every photo was tagged and shared with family, friends and strangers alike, a photograph was a rare, prized possession. In the Civil War era it wasn't uncommon for soldiers to carry a small tintype of a family member into battle, and if they died, sadly so did all of the information about that photo. That's why the Museum of the Confederacy needs your help.