Made of collodion on a plate of glass, the Ambrotype was an inexpensive alternative to the Daguerreotype. The image is a negative, however, when backed by a black background (varnish, paper, felt, etc.) the image becomes positive. Being quite fragile, not only because of the glass, but because the collodion could easily be wiped off the glass, they were presented in cases identical to those used for Daguerreotypes. Ambrotypes were popular only for about 15 years, from the 1850's to the late 1860's, when the Carte de Visite pushed them from popularity. Here are some examples from my collection.
From the collection of John Rochon
In the above 9th plate ambrotype with the early tombstone matt a woman sits for the photographer during mourning. In the later 6th plate photo at right sits a rugged gentleman with a large book.
From the collection of John Rochon
In this charming 6th plate above, a family of 5 squeezes onto a settee.
From the collection of John Rochon
This lovely pair of 4th plate ambrotypes show husband and wife sitting at the same side table with blue tinted cloth.
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