Old photo with lock of hair

[ANCIENTONE]

Any help determining age and pic type is much appreciated.

[bigwull]

most likely 1860 upwards, Victorian era..

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm going to place this at about 1850. You've got an daguerreotype or an ambrotype photograph. The suit is all but identical to the one my great-great-great-grandfather is wearing in his portrait taken in 1849. The shirt collar is different, your subject has a standup collar that looks to be pretty typical of the type worn in the 1850's.

[ANCIENTONE]

Thank you both!  How can I tell if it is a daguerreotype or an ambrotype photograph?

[ironlord1963]

     I would have to date this a bit later.  Being it is a tin Type, Ambrotype is a photo on glass with a painted black back and Daguerreotype is a silver tone Coated metal photo, and was very fragile, and are truly very hard to find, and many on ebay will call what they have a Daguerrotype but are just tin type.   Another way to note you have a Daguerrotype is the image is really fine and detailed, will almost pop out at you.  For the most part tin types started is 1859 and fell out in the early 1900's.  And these cases was the craze of the time.   Tin Types are really common, cause every fair, event, and even the local Grange hall usually had a Photograher that made them.    All in all Ambrotypes and Daguerreotypes are hard to find and are worth much more then the common tin Type.  

[ANCIENTONE]

Thanks ironlord1963!  I noticed the cheeks in pic are kind of pinkish as the rest is black and white. Would this help in determination of type and age? You sound sure that is a tin type...

[ironlord1963]

     Yes pretty sure it is just a tin type could be wrong Daguerrotype can look much like a Tin Type, but it would have a really shinning surface cause the basically Silver plate the metal before processing, and it would almost have a mirror surface look, you could tilt it and the postive image will look negative it is a daguerrotype.  But Daguerrotypes were very expensive and usually only the elite had them made, but Tin Types became cheaper and was affordable for most, Daguerrotypes would be people of really high class for the most part, this guy really look middle class at best.   As for the pinkish cheeks this was common practice, sometimes even parts of the clothing was tinted to give it a real look.

[KC]

I tend to agree with Ironlord on this one.  These cases and lock of your loved ones' hair were a craze during that time.  

They even have them in the Library of Congress as shown here and identified as Ambrotype/tintype with coloration:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012646134/

Here's other examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/6054123829/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/6987401219/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/6883282606/

[talesofthesevenseas]

Thanks for the clarification!

[frogpatch]

It is Richard Gere's Great Grandfather

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=gmail&sa=X&rls=gm&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=7IEzOH0GAgShuM:&imgrefurl=http://www.examiner.com/article/richard-gere-celebrity-gentleman-first-native-philadelphian-to-receive-prestigious-award&docid=-Rl1sk8hRpeEHM&imgurl=http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/richard_gere_3.jpg&w=550&h=499&ei=fHuFUMjuFcm10AH6wIHIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=685&vpy=325&dur=957&hovh=214&hovw=236&tx=138&ty=106&sig=117244918215382499773&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=156&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0,i:187

[greenacres]

Does it have the Gere name on it?

[KC]

Frogpatch....made me hurt my sides laughing.  Now when I look at it I see Richard Gere!  LOLOL

Greenacres....they are yanking your chain!