1. Plural of ferrotype; photographs made by a process in which a positive image is created on a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark enamel or emulsion, popular in the 19th century.
Usage: historical; also called tintype or melainotype

Examples

• The museum's collection includes hundreds of ferrotypes from the Civil War era.
• Ferrotypes were affordable and durable, making them popular among ordinary people in the 1800s.
• She carefully preserved the old ferrotypes in acid-free sleeves.
• Ferrotypes required much shorter exposure times than earlier photographic processes.
• The antique dealer specialized in restoring damaged ferrotypes.
• Many families kept ferrotypes as cherished mementos of deceased relatives.