Gorge J. Gress[?], New Jersey,

ca. 1860–80

Popular in the 1860s and ’70s, a tintype is a durable and low-cost photograph made by creating a direct positive image on a thin sheet of enameled metal. Due to the affordability of the tintype process, it became popular in the United States as a medium of portraiture. Tintype portraits from the mid- to the late nineteenth century capture a wide range of settings and subjects. Taken at Applegate’s studio in Philadelphia, known for its impressive size and efficient production, this photograph shows a Black man in a tailored suit, standing in front of a painted backdrop, his left hand grasping a chair’s top rail. The image is framed by a gilded paper case typical of tintype portraits, and the question mark after the name on the inscription, "Gorge R. Gress[?], New Jersey," suggests that the identity of the sitter was uncertain soon after the photograph was made. Although this photograph’s subject is now unknown, his image presents an opportunity to consider the representation of a local New Jersey man in the late nineteenth century.