1850s Early Portrait Ambrotype of a man, 6th plate Victorian collodion positive

...image, civil war USA portrait photograph An Early example of an Ambrotype (wet collodion photograph on glass) of a man in formal dress, his waistcoat in a glossy satin material, and a rosy blush has been delicately hand tinted onto his cheeks. The clothing, design of the case, mat and preserver indicate a date around 1856 - 1858*, which is just before the Civil War era in the U.S.A. *The wooden case (likely a paper mâché case, the attractive pattern is called "Gem Motif in Oval" and dates around 1855. The mat, a simple oval with dots, dates between 1854 and 1862, with the peak of popularity between 1856 - 1858. The preserver (the thin banding around the edge) is in the acanthus pattern and dates between 1856 and 1862. (Date source: "Fixed in Time" by Sean William Nolan) Condition: The image is strong with good contrast and without signs of fading. There are faint chemical / age related spots visible in the grey areas. It looks nicely framed (careful lifting out of the casing shows it´s still well - wrapped up around the edges) and the gilded mat and preserver are in good antique condition with a touch of tarnish but overall strong with a warm golden glow. The casing´s hinge has split and the casing has come apart, but the individual parts are in good shape with normal wear. The black casing with normal surface wear with some of the bare wood showing. The original hook clasp is present. You will receive the original, not a copy or print. The image plate is ca 2-3/4 x 3