Newbie: Glass Plate Finishing/Display options

[Drew Bedo]

I am working myself up to doing some vintage process imaging.

Starting this summer with a Petzval lens and a Rapid Rectilinear on my 8x10 Kodak 2D with sheet film. Then will get some Lane dry plates. Eventually I intend to go intodoing wet plate collodion.

I do not think I will be doing contact prints with salted paper or albumin. I am thinking to display the plates themselves.

My questions today: with a developed glass plate image in hand, what ways are there to finish it off? What will it look like with a mirror behind it? what will it look like with a black backingnd . . .or white? Should a dry plate be varnished as is done with wet plates?

I am also a littler at sea on matting and framing too.