Need help with a paperweight.

[quadcitypickers]

The paperweight is made of glass and has a mirror built into the back.

It's the capital building in Des Moines Iowa.

However it has a shimmer of color in the photo when you move it around.

I know it is called "opalescent".

However, I have never seen this effect used in vintage photos/litho,etc.

[sam9876]

Do you have a question?

[pburn]

I'll help with this: make sure you refer to it as the capitol rather than the capital building.

[quadcitypickers]

What would you call a photo or lithograph that shimmers with color?

I tried looking up "opalescent" photos, postcards, advertising, etc and could not find anything.

So this leads me to think there is another term when it's used in photography.

[lovtaco0]

Iridescent?

[bubbleman2010]

Its called foiled but adds no value to the item....

[duggmills]

Aurora Borealis?

[phono_0490xxxxxx]

It's not opalescent - that's a milky cloud effect within glass.

It's not iridescence or AB - that's an external effect from mineral salt.

There may be a degree of light filtering going on as this appears to be not very clear glass, unlike high Lead or silver content crystal.

Hard to say whats going on without looking at it 'in hand'.

If you look through the glass [sideways] is there a distinct colour to the glass, and does that tint change when viewed under different light sources [ie. difference between fluro tube lamps and old type incandecent - blue changing to a violet colour]

Your going to get optical effects because of the curved nature too.

Is there a chance the image is a transparency with the mirror / foil set a distance [perhaps just 1mm] behind so as to give some depth of field?

[anla-870]

It looks like a painting or a print to me

[fashunu4eeuh]

@quadcitypickers Hi, it is called a holograph or holographic effect, if it is what i think it is, a hologram.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, sorry i noticed an error and edit time ran out. I think it is a hologram or holographic. (Holograph is something entirely different, not what you have here.) But google it to compare yours with others. Very hard to know for sure unless it is in person, but i’m nearly convinced you have a hologram,  also   called a holo or holographic.

[goodluckselling]

Your item is not anything special IMO.  I have been involved in wholesale import/export sales for a long time and your item looks like an Asian made items that would sell at a wholesale price of about 1.00 to 2.00USD when purchased in quantities.

After as second look at the picture.  Probable closer to an item about one dollar.  The quality is not up to par for the company I worked for.  The building has poor detail and the shape is not unique in any perspective. 

Good Luck Selling!

[mikeystoyz]

I actually have about 100 shimmering postcards from about 100 years ago, they are pretty cool.  Found them at a yardsale.  

[phono_0490xxxxxx]

Definitely NOT a hologram.

The theme... subject matter and form pre date any holographic imaging process.

Better images of the base and sides of this item would confirm it's construction method.

Likewise, answers to questions put to the OP would help determine what this is and how it was made.... but it seems the OP has no interest now.

I hazard a guess that this is a glass slab that has been hot formed [of course] and then a photographic transparency with foil or white opaque backing applied to the base. Any 'shimmer' comes from the base layer being reflective.