Tin de Siecle

By The Editors
June 18, 2014 9:00 am

“How much does a hipster weigh?” goes the ol’ meme.

An Instagram,” comes the answer.

So maybe it’s time you posed for a selfie that carries a little bit more weight:

Say hello to The Penumbra Foundation, now offering gorgeous tintype portraits out of their 11,000-square-foot facility on E. 30th St.

You’ve heard of tintype: developed in the 1850s. Popular with Civil War soldiers. Billy the Kid posed for one.

They’re back in vogue – famed shutterbug Victoria Will recently used Penumbra as her basis to shoot a whole gallery of celebs at Sundance.

And now you’re going to get one of your very own.

Penumbra’s a nonprofit dedicated to “offering a complete curriculum from the inception of photography in 1839 to the present digital age.”

They know their stuff.

So book an appointment online. Mind what you wear – it matters. Then sit as they coat an aluminum plate in collodion emulsion and snap you with vintage equipment dating back 100+ years.

You’ll watch your portrait develop in Penumbra’s darkroom, transforming into a timeless, patina’d likeness we guarantee is unlike anything in your current photo album.

Call it the anti-Instagram.

Photo credit: Victoria Will

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.