Step into the early days of photography in this unique tintype experience led by photographer Chris Chapman of Northland Studios.

Tintype photography is a 19th-century process that creates a one-of-a-kind image directly on a thin metal plate. Unlike modern digital photography, each tintype is made individually using a light-sensitive chemical process. The image is exposed in-camera and developed on-site, producing a finished photograph within minutes that cannot be duplicated. Each piece carries a distinctive, timeless quality with rich contrast and a slightly vintage, almost painterly feel.

Rather than a traditional hands-on class, this program is designed as an intimate, educational observation experience. Participants will select a one-hour time slot, allowing for smaller group sizes and a more focused, personal learning environment. During your session, you will observe Chris as he works through the full tintype process—from preparing the metal plate to exposing and developing the final image. He will walk through each step in real time, explaining the craft, chemistry, timing, and artistic decisions that bring each portrait to life.

This structure creates space for close-up learning, questions, and conversation while maintaining the pace and precision required for the process itself.

Each participant will leave with a finished tintype portrait of their own, created during their session.

No prior photography experience is necessary. All materials and equipment are provided.

Time Slots: 1 hour increments from 10am – 2pm
Cost: $200 for members / $250 for non-members

Register for a Time Slot Here

You’re invited to an evening just for members as we kick off a summer full of new exhibitions at the
C.M. Russell Museum Members’ Summer Celebration.

Join us for an after-hours gathering to be among the first to experience our new summer exhibitions:

Ansel Adams: Masterworks
Beyond the Vault: Staff Picks and Perspectives
Tracing Russell: CM Russell and His Boyhood Sketches
Unsettled Lands by Manette Rene Bradford.

Enjoy light food and drinks, take your time in the galleries, and spend a relaxed evening connecting with art
and fellow members.

PHOTO:  Ansel Adams (1902–1984), Photograph by James Alinder

The Boxcar Librarian
By: Brianna Labuskes

Join us to discuss this Depression-era mystery inspired by true events, in which WA editor Millie Lang is sent to Montana amid scandal and investigates sabotage, powerful Copper Kings, and the disappearance of a librarian tied to the Boxcar Library-uncovering long-buried secrets about what happened to Colette Durand.