Provenance & Curation: This piece represents the apex of the Tom Muir Wilson Foundational Archive. During the initial 2022 extraction from the Byron Barn, this item was identified as a “Tier 1” asset of the highest historical value. While the broader collection was moved to secondary storage, this specific artifact was brought directly to a secure Rochester location for professional stabilization and safekeeping.

Familial Context: As a foundational heirloom, this sixth-plate Tintype serves as the 19th-century ancestor to the later photographic expeditions of Professor Tom Muir Wilson (RIT). The meticulous hand-tinting on the subject’s features and the preservation of the silver-plate clarity serve as a direct historical precursor to the vibrant color studies captured during the 1991 Silk Road and Eastern European expeditions.

Technical Specifications:

Item: Sixth-Plate Tintype in Maltese Cross Thermoplastic Case.
Origin: 19th-Century Photographic Masterwork.
Case Details: High-relief “Maltese Cross and Scrolls” thermoplastic Union Case.
Storage History: Hand-selected in 2022; curated in Rochester residential archive; separate from the East Rochester climate-controlled negative and Ektachrome collections.
Condition: Exceptional archival state; original hinges and deep crimson internal velvet are fully preserved.

Archival Timeline

Circa 1850s: Creation of the Maltese Cross Plate as a primary family record.
1991: Professor Wilson continues the photographic lineage with the Silk Road and Eastern European expeditions.
2022: The Primary Selection. This artifact is rescued from the Byron Barn and moved to a secure Rochester location for safe-keeping.
2026: Final cataloging and release from the secure Rochester vault.

The Archival Association: These pieces are not isolated finds; they are the physical records of the Wilson family lineage. Each piece in this collection was curated by Professor Tom Muir Wilson and intentionally separated from the bulk storage inventory during the 2022 Byron Barn extraction due to its high-value “Tier 1” status.

They serve as the 19th-century visual foundation for the tens of thousands of panoramic negatives and Ektachrome slides currently preserved in climate control in East Rochester. Acquiring a piece from this selection is an acquisition of the primary source material for the entire Wilson Global Archive.

Rochester Vault.

Young Man in Gingham Vest | Sixth-Plate Tintype (Ferrotype)