Ambrotype vs. Daguerreotype — What's the Difference?

The ambrotype (from Ancient Greek: ἀμβροτός — “immortal”, and τύπος — “impression”) also known as a collodion positive in the UK, is a positive photograph on glass made by a variant of the wet plate collodion process. Like a print on paper, it is viewed by reflected light.

Daguerreotype ( (listen); French: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process.

An early type of photograph made by imaging a negative on glass backed by a dark surface.

An early photographic process with the image made on a light-sensitive silver-coated metallic plate.

An early type of photograph in which a glass negative appears positive when displayed on a black background.

A photograph made by this process.

A picture taken on a plate of prepared glass, in which the lights are represented in silver, and the shades are produced by a dark background visible through the unsilvered portions of the glass.

To make a daguerreotype of.

An early type of photograph created by exposing a silver surface which has previously been exposed to either iodine vapor or iodine and bromine vapors.

To make a photograph using this process, to make a daguerreotype (of).

An early variety of photograph, produced on a silver plate, or copper plate covered with silver, and rendered sensitive by the action of iodine, or iodine and bromine, on which, after exposure in the camera, the latent image is developed by the vapor of mercury.

The process of taking such pictures.

To produce or represent by the daguerreotype process, as a picture.

To impress with great distinctness; to imprint; to imitate exactly.

A photograph made by an early photographic process; the image was produced on a silver plate sensitized to iodine and developed in mercury vapor