Ambrotypes: Immortal Impressions of the Nineteenth Century

The word ambrotype comes from the Greek ambrotos, meaning “immortal,” and typos, meaning “impression.” The name is fitting. These fragile photographs—made on glass and easily broken—were intended to preserve a likeness forever. In their quiet, ghostly beauty, ambrotypes represent a pivotal moment in the history of photography and in how people chose to remember themselves and their loved ones.

Ambrotype of an unknown child (source: Bellamy archives).

What Is an Ambrotype?
An ambrotype is a positive photographic image created using the wet plate collodion process. Technically, the image on the glass is a negative. However, when the glass plate is placed against a dark background—often black varnish, velvet, fabric, or painted black glass—the transparent areas appear light, transforming the image into what looks like a positive photograph.
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Ambrotypes are known for their soft tonal range and ethereal quality. Faces often appear luminous, almost floating against the dark backing. Because the image is formed directly on glass, each ambrotype is a one-of-a-kind object. Many were housed in small hinged cases lined with velvet, similar to daguerreotypes, making them both intimate and portable keepsakes.

Popularity and Historical Context
​The ambrotype was introduced around 1854, when James Ambrose Cutting patented a version of the process in the United States. It quickly gained popularity and remained widely used throughout the 1850s and 1860s. During this period, ambrotypes filled the gap between the earlier daguerreotype and later photographic formats such as tintypes and paper prints.
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By the 1870s, ambrotypes fell out of favor. Newer photographic methods were cheaper, faster, and more durable, making them more convenient for both photographers and consumers. Despite their relatively brief period of popularity, ambrotypes played a crucial role in expanding photography beyond elite circles.

Who Owned Ambrotypes?
​By the mid-nineteenth century, photography was no longer reserved solely for the wealthy elite. Ambrotypes were less expensive than daguerreotypes, making them accessible to working- and middle-class families. For many people, an ambrotype was the only photograph they would ever own.

Farmers, laborers, and their families often commissioned a single portrait to document themselves or their household. Soldiers departing for the American Civil War frequently had ambrotypes taken to leave behind with loved ones, while sweethearts and engaged couples exchanged them as tokens of affection. Children’s portraits were also common, commissioned by parents who wanted to preserve an image of a child at a particular stage in life.

Wealthier individuals also embraced ambrotypes, particularly in the 1850s when the format was considered modern and fashionable. For them, ambrotypes served as both status symbols and tools of legacy, preserving family lineage in a tangible form.

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Ambrotype of John and Eliza Bellamy's eldest child Mary Elizabeth, nicknamed "Belle."

Ambrotype believed to be the Bellamy's 9th child, Chesley Calhoun, who died just shy of his 22nd birthday.

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Ambrotypes and the Bellamy Family
​Given the prominence and social standing of the Bellamy family, their ownership of ambrotypes is unsurprising. For wealthy families in the mid-nineteenth century, ambrotypes were both fashionable and meaningful. They preserved likenesses at a time when photography was still novel, capturing individuals at specific moments in their lives and allowing those images to be passed down through generations.
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These photographs freeze time, offering modern viewers a direct visual connection to the past. They serve not only as family heirlooms but also as historical documents, reflecting how people wished to be seen and remembered.

An ambrotype of Frederick Douglass from the Civil War period. Held in the Smithsonian collection.

Enslaved People and Ambrotypes
​Enslaved individuals were photographed during the ambrotype era, but they rarely owned these images. Most ambrotypes depicting enslaved people were commissioned by enslavers, often to document what they considered property or to portray enslaved individuals in carefully staged, sentimentalized roles.

Some ambrotypes were created for abolitionist purposes, intended to humanize enslaved people and support anti-slavery efforts, particularly in the North. After emancipation, formerly enslaved people increasingly sought portraits of themselves and their families. These images served as powerful assertions of dignity, identity, and belonging in a society that had long denied them those rights.
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Before the Civil War, enslaved individuals generally lacked the money and legal standing to commission their own photographs. Even when portraits existed, ownership usually rested with the person who paid the photographer. Rare exceptions may have occurred in urban areas, but they were not typical.

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A Connection to Poverty
​While ambrotypes are often associated with wealth and status, they can also tell stories of hardship. One such example is this ambrotype of young Ellen Bellamy. According to a box found with the photograph, the image was gifted on Christmas Day in 1935 to Ellen’s niece, who shared her name.
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At the time, Ellen was struggling financially and could not afford traditional holiday gifts. She repurposed this once-coveted photographic object as a meaningful, frugal present. In doing so, she not only celebrated the holiday but also preserved a family image that would be cherished for decades. 

This illustrates how ambrotypes could transcend their original context, becoming symbols of memory and enduring familial bonds.

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How Ambrotypes Were Made
​Creating an ambrotype required skill, speed, and precision. The process began with thoroughly cleaning a glass plate, as even the smallest speck of dust would appear in the final image. The photographer then coated the glass with collodion, a syrupy mixture of cellulose nitrate dissolved in ether and alcohol, combined with iodide salts.

While the plate was still wet, it was immersed in a silver nitrate bath, making it sensitive to light. This step had to be completed immediately before exposure, which is why the method is known as the “wet plate” process. The plate was then placed into a camera and exposed while still wet. Exposure times ranged from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on lighting conditions.
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After exposure, the image was developed using chemicals such as iron sulfate or pyrogallic acid, revealing the photograph. A fixing solution—often potassium cyanide or sodium thiosulfate—was applied to make the image permanent. Once washed and dried, the glass plate was backed with a dark material so the negative image would appear positive.

Ambrotype of Lizzie Taylor, a Bellamy family relative.

Storage, Display, and Cost
​Because ambrotypes were made of glass, they were delicate and required protection. Most were stored in small, hinged cases, often lined with velvet and covered in leather or paper. These cases might be displayed on mantels or side tables, tucked into drawers or family bibles, or even worn as lockets in miniature form.

The cost of an ambrotype varied depending on size, presentation, and embellishment. Small ambrotypes—such as locket-sized plates—typically cost between 25 and 50 cents in the mid-1800s, while standard sizes ranged from about 75 cents to two dollars. Larger plates, ornate cases, or hand-tinted images could cost five dollars or more, a significant expense at the time.

Prices were influenced by the size of the glass plate, the quality of the case, whether the image was hand-colored, and the reputation or location of the photographer. Urban studios and well-known photographers often charged more, while traveling or rural photographers offered lower prices to attract customers.

The information in this article was adapted from an interpretive plan prepared in the spring of 2025 by UNCW graduate student Melissa Howdershelt for her practica in Public History. The plan included a concept for constructing an exhibition using ambrotypes from the Bellamy Mansion Museum's collection, with the goal to educate its viewers.