Whoever had a question about tintype care, I am sorry but I erased your e-mail. In response, however, I believe I can help a little as I am an antiques dealer and somewhat specialize in cased photographic images. First, are you certain it is a tintype? If it is in a case that opens like a little book, it may be a daguerreotype or an ambrotype. If the images are in a case, and you are not certain, let me know and I will give you clues on how to tell what they are. If the images are not in a case, you will obviously know that they are tintypes because they will be on tin. You should not try to clean them with anything. You could gently blow any surface dust off, but anything more than that could lift the image from the tin. Do not expose them to continuous light, as they could fade. Do not store them loosely in a drawer where they could become scratched. I would definitely recommend that you have copies made immediatley. Around her many of the Walmarts and Walgreens have Kodak Copiers. For 48 cents you can have a copy made on photo paper from any photo by just placing it on a copy screen. You can brighten, darken, crop, etc. Englargements, up to 8x10, can be made for about $6.00. All copies are processed by the machine within 3 minutes. If you want to frame your newly-acquired images, I would recommend framing one of the copies, storing the originals for safe keeping in a cool, dry environment. Be sure to identify the individuals who appear in the images, where they lived, circa dates, and so on. Likewise identify all copies you make. Be sure to make extra copies of your images to be stored OUTSIDE your home: 1. Make copies for any other interested family members. 2. Make copies for the local and/or regional genealogical/historical society. 3. Make copies for your safe deposit box, or keep the originals in your safe deposit box. These steps will insure that the image of your family members will not be lost forever in the event of a fire or flood. Debbie McArdle