ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Excelsior Wet Plate Camera

Have you ever taken pictures with a camera? Well, the Excelsior wet plate camera is a special kind of camera that was used a very long time ago, before people had digital cameras or cell phones with cameras in them.

The Excelsior wet plate camera works by taking a flat piece of glass and coating it with a special kind of liquid that can make pictures appear. This liquid is called a "wet plate." Then, the camera takes a picture of whatever is in front of it and the image is captured on this wet plate.

But wait, there's more! The camera also needs a special kind of light to make the picture appear. This light is called a "flash," and it's like a really bright light that only lasts for a second. The flash helps to capture the image on the wet plate so that it can be developed into a real photograph.

The wet plate camera is different from the cameras we have now because it takes a lot longer to take just one picture. And once the wet plate is used, it can't be used again! That's why the people who used this kind of camera had to be very careful with their equipment and make sure they had everything just right before taking the picture.

In the end, the wet plate camera was a very important tool that helped people take pictures and capture memories. Though we don't use this kind of camera anymore, we can still appreciate its unique and interesting process.