Wet and Dry Glass Negatives
by Barry Bauer
The gentleman in the photo is not identified but the process is. There were two ways to capture images on glass in the old days. One was a Collodion Wet Plate and the other was a Gelatine Dry plate.
The Wet Plates were the earliest process and had its difficulties but took a very sharp image. The Dry Plates came later but improved the process from the photographer’s point of view.
Even though the rest of the subject in the photo is sharp to the eye, his tie was blurred by the wind. The shutter speed in those days wasn’t fast enough.
It is my understanding that glass negatives are considered collectables and worth a little money.