tintype is one of the first photographic techniques, dating from the civil war era. a photograph is created directly onto a piece of metal by covering it in an emulsion of salted collodion and silver nitrate, which is then exposed, developed, and fixed while still wet. after drying the plate is coated with a high-quality varnish to protect the image, making it uv-resistant and virtually indestructible. the end result is a unique, durable, heirloom-quality item which is unduplicable and has inherent handmade qualities