James W. (1816) Williams Sold at Auction Prices

JAMES W. WILLIAMS, (attrib), GIRL WITH A SASH. Mammoth plate Ivorytype, 24 x 20 - inches, in an original frame.

JAMES W. WILLIAMS, (attrib), GIRL WITH A SASH. Mammoth plate Ivorytype, 24 x 20 - inches, in an original frame. The ambrotype, being a photograph on glass, initiated a number of processes that used the transparent glass substrate to create colored images that imitated aspects of painting. The Ivorytype was such a process. It was developed by Mayall in England. His process used a miniature sheet of thin ivory or imitation ivory, and so gave it its name. In Philadephia Wenderoth introduced a different process. Here is a description by Mark Ostermann for "Le Vocabulaire de la Photographie" (1008) by Anne Cartier Bresson: "The American Ivorytype was introduced by a Mr. Wenderoth in 1855. A collodion negative was used to make a conventional gold-toned salted paper print. The details of the print were lightly painted with watercolors and cemented, image side in, to a piece of clear glass using hot wax. The glass plate bearing the colored salt print was backed with a second piece of white paper with a highly colored painting in basic shapes that registered to the photographic image. Occasionally this second piece was a lightly printed salt print that acted as a painting guide. When the two were placed together, the tones of the painted secondary sheet were visible through the waxed image mounted on the glass. The result was an image featuring subtle tones and a depth of color more often associated with oil paintings. Varying the distance between the backing and the glass-bearing image resulted in different effects" This is a superb example of the process, not only because of its outstanding technical perfection, but also because its size puts it beyond the associations with miniature painting on ivory, but rather in the context of large portrait paintings." According to the owner, there once was a gold label on the wooden backing of the frame. It was from Philadelphia and had a date. It has somehow disappeared. I have not opened the back of the frame, where there might be information or a label. This is recognized to be by Williams because the fanciful details of columns and balustrades are the same as in a known Williams ivorytype. The subject is clearly a daughter of some important family. She is decorated in finery with a lovely sash. This is a prime example of this process. I don't know of another this size. From the collection of Danna and Daniel Sheron.