With each exposure lasting approximately five seconds—a
blink compared to those of early daguerreotypes—and prices ranging from 15 to
25 cents, the tintype facilitated the creation of portraits by and for the
working class. Many sitters chose to include tools of their trade, friends or
family, or even, in the case of these charming examples, man’s best friend.
Dogs have been a welcome and willing portrait subject since the beginning of
the medium, but new technologies and reduced exposure times made it easier to
capture a fidgety canine.