An early photographic process using glass coated with collodion and an undercoating of dark material, producing a positive image popular in the 1850s-1860s.
From 'ambr-' (possibly relating to amber's clarity) combined with '-type' (from Greek 'typos,' meaning impression). The name suggests the amber-like or clear quality of the glass.
Before digital cameras or even regular film, photographers used glass plates with chemicals to capture portraits so detailed you can see the person's individual eyelashes—ambrotypes are like the mirror-reflection cousins of daguerreotypes!
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