How Old is That Tintype?

I was thrilled to find this gem-sized tintype on a carte-de-visite mount chock full of information on photographer C. Alfred Garrett. The label includes a ringing endorsement from West Chester photographer Eber Woodward who Garrett succeeded in business. Garrett even gives a very clear address for his studio – usually his imprints just say “West Chester, PA” Here he identifies the address as the corner of Gay and Church Streets!

C. Alfred Garrett, unidentified young man, 1869, gem sized tintype on carte-de-visite mount. From the collection of Pamela C. Powell.

It is possible to narrow down the date range for this tintype by using the data from the label. As a matter of fact you will see that we can use deed research to date it!

We know that Garrett bought out Woodward’s studio on April 3, 1867, according to an article in The Jeffersonian. Woodward’s studio was on the northwest corner of Gay and Church Streets, located above Mercer’s Store. If we look carefully at the tintype label however, it identifies the location as over Hoopes’ Store. So when did Hoopes purchase it?

A visit to Chester County Archives for a little deed research revealed the answer. Anna Maria Mercer sold the building on the corner of Gay and Church Streets on March 1, 1869 to B. Tevis Hoopes for the sum of $16,500. [Deed Book P& Vol. 162 page 549]. So we know the tintype was taken between March of 1869 and the spring of 1871 when Garrett left for California. Since the mount is very thin, my feeling is it was taken in 1869 rather than the 1870s when the mounts had more substance to them.

Historical archival records are an invaluable resource for dating photographs. Who knew that a deed would provide the solution! A full biography of C. Alfred Garrett will be forthcoming.