These images were made through a challenging process which involves mixing and pouring a volatile liquid emulsion onto metal or glass plates, sensitizing the fresh plate in silver nitrate in a darkroom, loading the plate into a light-proof film holder, exposing the slow plate in a large format camera, and developing it back in a darkroom before it has a chance to dry.
Collodion produces grainless, unique images which appear to positive. Collodion can be used on transparent glass to produce glass plate negative, or on opaque plates or other opaque substances to yield remarkable, one-of-a-kind positive "prints."
If the plate is made of metal, it is referred to as a ferrotype. (Tintypes fall into this category.) If it is glass, it is called an ambrotype.
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