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PEOPLE OFTEN SELL AMBROTYPES, TINTYPES AND DAGS AND CALL THEM ALL " DAGUERREOTYPES " BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A " CASE "....... NOT TRUE ! THERE IS AN EASY WAY TO TELL WHAT YOU HAVE ! A TINTYPE WILL ATTRACT A MAGNET ! AN AMBROTYPE IS AN IMAGE "ON THE GLASS" AND A DAGUERREOTYPE APPEARS AS IF YOU ARE LOOKING INTO A MAGIC MIRROR ! THEY ARE ON COPPER ! AS YOU TILT THE "MIRRORED PICTURE" THIS WAY AND THAT, YOU WILL SEE AN "IMAGE" APPEAR ! ....A DAGUERROTYPE IS SO VERY FRAGILE !...THEY HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO A BUTTERFLYS WING....I LOVE THE OLD TARNISHED ONES ! THE ONES UNTAMPERED WITH ! I HAD MUCH RATHER HAVE A DAG WITH TARNISH THAN ONE THAT HAS BEEN "CLEANED" ...WHAT IS MOST HORRIFYING TO ME IS TO SEE A DAGUERROTYPE REMOVED FROM NOT ONLY ITS CASE BUT ALSO FROM ITS MAT AND SEALS TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED FOR A POTENTIAL SALE ! HISTORY FOLKS , HISTORY !!! THESE DAGS ARE HISTORY THAT CAN BE DESTROYED WITH A TOUCH OF A FINGERTIP....TAKE CARE OF THEM !!! ....THEY ARE ONE OF A KIND IMAGES THAT ARE ALMOST MAGICAL....IF YOU SIMPLY MUST REMOVE ONE FROM A CASE TO SEE "WHAT IT IS " OR "WHAT IS BEHIND THE IMAGE" THEN TAP , GENTLY, AGAINST THE PALM OF YOUR HAND TO REMOVE THE CASED IMAGE...IF YOU SEE A COPPER COLOR ON ITS BACK YOU HAVE A DAG AND PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THAT OLD PAPER OR "SEAL" OFF ! IF YOU SEE BLACK OR PERHAPS BROWN AND A MAGNET STICKS YOU HAVE A TINTYPE...IF YOU HAVE GLASS WITH AN IMAGE ON THE ACTUAL GLASS AND YOU SEE A DARK PAPER BACKING OR DARK MATERIAL BEHIND IT, YOU HAVE AN AMBROTYPE...BUT I RECOMMEND JUST LEAVING THEM ALL IN THEIR CASES !!! WITH A BIT OF READING UP ON THE "TYPES" YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING WHAT THEY ARE ! TAKE CARE FOLKS AND REMEMBER TO RESPECT OLD ITEMS...THEY TELL STORIES WE CANNOT HEAR EXCEPT WITH OUR EYES !
Guide created: 07/01/07 (updated 10/03/08)
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