Reenactors in Tintypes: Volume Four

It was way back in July of 2011 when I posted my very first Reenactors in Tintypes article for Passion for the Past.  And here we are,  nine years later,  and I am now publishing my fourth collection  (links to the first three are at the bottom of this posting).
As living historians,  our goal is to be as true to the time we are representing as we can be,  and few activities can bring one back to the era of the mid-19th century better than having your likeness taken from a photographer who's camera is actually from the period.  This means our picture-taking experience is the same - the same - as those who had their's taken 150+ years ago.  And the quality - the old-timey look we strive for - is spot on perfect.
Time-travel indeed.
That's what these pictures show.
And to prove otherwise would be futile.
Want proof?
Here you go:

If I slipped this tintype into a draw of an old desk inside an 
antique store,  few would know that it was actually taken in 2019.

Photographer W. C.  Badgley captures the likeness of the ladies 
of the 21st Michigan  (along with young Zane),  who are all 
well-versed in 19th century life.

From what I understand,  his camera is from the 1870s 
- not too long after the Civil War had ended.

Mr.  Badgely also took the photo below with his tintype camera:

What folks in the 21st century see...

...and what those from the 19th century saw.

Both Carolyn and Jackie are well-suited for this sort of interaction,  as you can very well see,  for the two have been reenacting 19th century life for years.
The public seemed to enjoy being drawn into their world,  which the photographer captured so vividly.

Mr.  Badgely was a travelling photographer.  He kept everything 
right on his movable cart,  and it was in this manner he would 
walk about to different locations and get a variety of backgrounds.

Here we have Mrs.  St.  John flanked by 
Miss Isaacson and Miss Carlson

Miss Goodenow and Mrs.  Fleishman

Two military members of the 21st Michigan are about to have their image preserved for future historians.

That's my son and military commander,  Robbie,  on the left,  
and 21st Michigan President,  Charlie,  on the right.

Because they are not produced from a negative, 
the images are reversed  (as in a mirror). 

But Mr.  Badgely was not the only photographer in town - - -

There is also Mr.  Robert Beech,  a very well-known
and respected photographer in his own right.

He took the next two photos:

This is my son and his betrothed,  Heather.

This was not only Heather's first Civil War 
reenactment,  but her first tintype as well.

A coffee wagon,  which was pulled throughout Greenfield Village by a horse during the 2019 Civil War Remembrance,  offered a free cup of coffee to reenactors and patrons alike.  Yes,  this was very popular!
It is a 7/8 size replication modeled after an 1863 original and was built by the Chase and Sunburn Coffee Company in 1970.

Again,  a scene out of the past.

Unfortunately,  with the coronavirus,  Civil War Remembrance 
was cancelled for this year.  The event and the coffee wagon is 
supposed to return next year.

At another event...in Port Sanilac,  a group of  reenactors have their likeness taken.

Group shots of friends or family were very popular in the 19th century.

The captured image.

Members of the 102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops.

Marty Nemeckay Jr.,  on his horse,  Jac.

Robert Beech setting up the camera to get my likeness while sitting atop Jac the horse.

It took quite a while to set everything up and take the picture, 
but  "Little Jac"  was such a patient horse.

I am so pleased with the way the tintype turned out! 

President and Mrs.  Lincoln

I love it when Civil War era reenactments will have a tintype photographer ready and willing to capture the likeness of a period-dressed participant.  To watch these artists work their magic in creating photographic images from the tin plates and a few chemicals with water simply amazes me.  You would think that in our day and age of digital technology something as antiquated as this process of making pictures wouldn't hold any modern fellow's attention in the least,  but it certainly does for me.  But then,  I'm not necessarily a modern fellow,  am I?  At least,  not in spirit.
Maybe it's because it takes a human to create this image instead of a computer.  Yeah,  yeah,  I know - humans create computer programs to give us the means to have our digital cameras and photo processing right at our fingertips.  With the program I own - Paint Shop Pro - I can do most anything to my digital pictures with the click of a mouse,  including making them look like ancient tintypes,  create ghost photos,  brighten or darken images,  take people or unwanted items out of the pictures  (or add to them),  repair old scratchy pictures,  create sketches...the list could go on and on.
And it is all so very cool.
I'm not going to lie...I do love much of this modern technology.
But observing a tintype master at work is really a wonder,  and,  as a living historian,  little can show us as being in the past like an actual tintype.
So,  please allow me to show a few of the magician's secrets with my pictorial tutorial:

My daughter and I posing for our tintype.

These are some of the chemicals I saw being used in the 
preparation process of having an image taken of my daughter 
and I.  There were also chemicals used to develop the tintype 
after we spent time sitting in front of the camera.

Ah,  and this is the camera.  
I was told it's an original from 1864.  
Kind of intimidating,  isn't it?  
Can you imagine having your image taken for the 
first time back in the 1860's,  never before 
seeing anything like this?  
Yikes!

What you see here is sort of a  "dark room"  used in 
preparing the tin plate as well as setting up his shot.  

This is what the inside of his  "dark room"  looks like.

Timers used.
I remember timing my Polaroid Camera pictures 
by using timers similar to what you see here.

The photographer's assistant made sure we were 
centered properly.

Out came the photographer from his dark room preparation to 
put the plate into the camera.

The preparation took a bit of time.  For one thing,  since we were 
outside,  the sun light could wreak havoc on the whole process.

Okay - here we go!  Time for our image to be immortalized.

This is how it looked to us,  and...

...this is how it looks to the photographer.  Well,  in a way - - for 
this wasn't us here.  The photographer allowed me to photograph 
what it looks like under the covering while he took an image of 
my friend Kristen so you have an idea of what he sees.  Not only 
is the image in the camera upside down,  but it's reversed!!

Kristen,  from the above picture.

After the picture of my daughter and I was captured,  the 
photographer's assistant began the development process. 
Besides the chemicals,  water is also included in all of this.

The plate is blank as it sits in the chemicals,  but pouring water 
onto it is the key to the development.

You can see the image becoming a little clearer as she swished 
the water with the other chemicals.

Isn't this cool?
The image is getting starker now.

And before long,  we have an image of my daughter and I on a tin 
plate,  as if by magic.  And it must have seemed like magic to 
those who lived in the 1860s.
 Much,  much cooler in all ways than recreating a 
computerized version of a tintype,  eh?

And voila! 
Here is the fully developed tintype of my daughter and I,  
taken on June 8,  2013.  
Is it perfect?  
Well,  to be honest,  yes it is!  
It's exactly what I wanted.  It looks a bit stretched because 
I took the picture on an angle to prevent glare with my,  ahem,  
digital camera in order to show you all how it turned out.

So,  there you have it!  A trip to see the circuit-riding photographer.  No matter how often I watch the process of 1860's photography,  it never ceases to amaze me.
Thanks must go to Kristen - the girl in the blue dress - for she took a number of photos you see here with my camera.  Awesome job!!

But wait!  There is time for one last tintype in today's posting,  which is particularly unique,  blending past and present in a totally different way.
It is an actual tintype taken of the front of Firestone Farm on its original site in Columbiana,  Ohio,  circa 1876.  We see grandmother Sally Anne with Robert,  Harvey,  and Elmer.

But I see a few more people in this tintype than whose names you 
have just read:  from left there is myself  (white jacket),  my wife 
Patty,  and Larissa, and standing in front of the window to the right is 
my son,  Miles.  Sitting down on the porch in front of Miles is 
Sofia and Jean.
Now just how the heck did we get into this picture with 
the Firestone family of the 1880s?
Hmmm...maybe we were really there...

I hope you enjoyed this different approach to living history.  As I said,  having an actual tintype taken is the ultimate time-travel photography experience.  My mother once said that future folks may mistaken our tintypes for those taken 150 years earlier.
Heh heh heh
Nothing can beat the real deal.

Until next time,  see you in time.


Reenactors in Tintypes Vol.  One
Reenactors in Tintypes Vol.  Two
Reenactors in Tintypes  Vol.  Three

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