Anatomy of a Cased Image
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Any of the early photographs could be put into a protective case, and especially for daguerreotypes and ambrotypes this was usually done. Being made from different materials, many of these cases were miniature works of art. There were basically three types of cases - those made from gutta percha, hard rubber, and paper on a wooden frame in imitation of the other first two types.
GUTTA PERCHA
Gutta Percha
is a resin made from the sap of a South American tree. It was mixed with sawdust
and could be molded into any
desired shape. Gutta Percha was the world's first plastic. The case
shown at right is one of many styles of patriotic cases. Patriotic cases
were especially popular during the Civil War, although today they are rare and
valuable. Most bore some fanciful geometric design such as the one below.
Another common material used for image cases was hard rubber. To the untrained eye, hard rubber looks a lot like plastic. And, it was not just black, it came in various colors and shades. It is not the pliable rubber we think of today, but is rather brittle. Charles Goodyear first patented hard rubber in 1849, and was issued another patent for it in 1851. His invention was turned into a plethora of items including buttons, hair combs, jewelry, and such things as syringes.
This quaint hard rubber case shows two young girls catching butterflies. The image within is from 1856.