History
What is a collotype in a book or museum print?
Collotype was a photomechanical printing process that used gelatin on glass to transfer photographic tones to paper.
The V&A places collotype use roughly between 1870 and 1920. A glass plate coated with sensitized gelatin was exposed beneath a negative; the pattern of hardened and water-absorbing gelatin then transferred ink onto fine paper.
A collotype can look photographic while being made on a printing
A collotype can look photographic while being made on a printing press rather than as a direct photographic paper print. This made it useful for reproducing images in editions and publications, where many readers could see the same picture.
Evidence: Wikipedia article
A photobooth strip is a direct output from a session
A photobooth strip is a direct output from a session, while collotype belongs to a reproduction chain. If a strip appears in an old book, the printed image and the physical strip are separate objects with separate histories.
Evidence: Wikipedia article
When identifying a collotype
When identifying a collotype, use the catalogue record or technical examination rather than size or subject alone. A printed reproduction may show a portrait or landscape yet belong to publishing history rather than to the camera’s immediate output. That distinction can prevent a reproduction in a photobook from being mislabeled as an original photographic print.
Evidence: Wikipedia article
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Collotype — WikipediaWikipedia article