Need Help w/Identifying Antique Photographic Technique

hi everyone. i found this old framed photograph in a Goodwill the other day. It kind of fascinated me. the picture i've provided below has some areas that look a little light. that's due to glare. this image has an amazingly rich tonal quality to it all over. this is a photograph of the Sibilla Libica, which is a part of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. what i'm trying to determine is, what kind of photograph is this? on the backside there's the remnants of a tag attached to the upper left corner of the frame. in that tag is the name Alinari. the Alinari brothers are really famous photographers from Italy. Romualdo Alinari did do an albumen print from a glass negative of this subject back in the mid 1850s. other photographers have also done photographs of this in the 19th century as well. However, examples of the Alinari image that i've found online are somewhat smaller than this image. they measure 9 7/8" x 7 5/8". this measures 16 1/4"x 12 3/8", so it's a pretty large picture. based on everything i understand regarding albumen prints, this is an albumen print, but i guess i'm looking for confirmation. also, doe anyone have any suggestions for positively attributing this to Alinari? as an Alinari print, even with damage, it would be worth a bit of money. i don't know that the name on the back alone is enough. any help will be greatly appreciated...thanks

 

.

 

My usual request... Would/could you please include a photograph of the frame?

Debora

 

@Jim Goodykoontz , you might want to check the Graphics Atlas online -- http://www.graphicsatlas.org/ , under the Identification tab. When that comes up, check the Photographic processes. There are very detailed illustrations and points for each, even microscopic ones. Since you have it in a frame, and I assume under glass, you would be the best able to identify it. You might consider removing it from the frame to have a better look at the surface.

It's possibly a glare from the glass on the front, but I'm seeing a silver sort of glow around the edges in the darker areas. If that is not a reflection from the glass, it would suggest one of processes like silver gelatin. Those tend to get a silvery sheen on the surface, which is considered damage.

 

it's an old, relatively inexpensive wood frame, not in great condition. one of the things that surprises me is, this print doesn't appear to have ever been under glass. there are, what appear to be, wipe marks on the surface of the print.

 

that "silver glow" isn't really present when you look at the print in person. the photos i've provided were shot outside, in the shade. unfortunately, even there there's an issue of glare. there's glare along the entire left side. the actual color is a uniform, rich brown. also, as i state above, there's no glass covering this print. it's possible there was at one time but none now. when you look at the print at an angle, you can see wipe marks that look old.