第1章

ORTHEPRODUCTIONOFPICTURESTHROUGHTHEAGENCYOFLIGHT。

CONTAININGALLTHEINSTRUCTIONSNECESSARYFORTHECOMPLETE

PRACTICEOFTHEDAGUERREANANDPHOTOGENICART,BOTHONMETALIC,PLATESANDONPAPER。

TOEDWARDANTHONY,ESQ。,ANESTEEMEDFRIEND。

Whosegentlemanlydeportment,liberalfeelings,andstrictintegrityhavesecuredhimalargecircleoffriends,thisworkisRespectfullyDedicatedBytheAUTHOR。

PREFACE。

TheobjectofthislittleworkistofillavoidmuchcomplainedofbyDaguerreotypists——particularlyyoungbeginers。

Theauthorhaswaitedalongtimeinhopesthatsomemoreablepenwouldbedevotedtothesubject,butthewantsofthenumerous,andconstantlyincreasing,class,justmentioned,induceshimtowaitnolonger。

AlltheEnglishworksonthesubject——particularlyonthepracticalapplication,ofPhotogenicdrawing——aredeficientinmanyminutedetails,whichareessentialtoacompleteunderstandingoftheart。

Manyoftheirmethodsofoperatingareentirelydifferentfrom,andmuchinferiorto,thosepractisedintheUnitedStates:

theirapparatus,also,cannotcomparewithoursforcompleteness,utilityorsimplicity。

Ishall,therefore,confinemyselfprincipally——sofarasPhotogenicdrawinguponmetalicplatesisconcerned——tothemethodspractisedbythemostcelebratedandexperiencedoperators,drawinguponFrenchandEnglishauthorityonlyincaseswhereIfinditessentialtothepurposeforwhichIdesignmywork,namely:furnishingacompletesystemofPhotography;

suchanoneaswillenableanygentleman,orlady,whomaywishtopractisetheart,forprofitoramusement,todosowithoutthetroubleandexpenseofseekinginstructionfromprofessors,whichinmanycaseswithinmyownknowledgehaspreventedpersonsfromembracingtheprofession。

ToEnglishauthorsIamprincipallyindebtedforthatportionofmyworkrelatingtoPhotogenicdrawingonpaper。

Tothemweowenearlyallthemostimportantimprovementsinthatbranchoftheart。Besides,ithasbeenbutseldomattemptedintheUnitedStates,andthenwithoutanydecidedsuccess。

OftheseattemptsIshallspeakfurtherintheHistoricalportionofthisvolume。

Everythingessential,therefore,toacompleteknowledgeofthewholeart,comprisingallthemostrecentdiscoveriesandimprovementsdowntothedayofpublicationwillbefoundhereinlaiddown。

INTRODUCTION

NewYork,January27,1849。

E。ANTHONY,ESQ。

DearSir,——Insubmitingtheaccompanying\"HistoryandPracticeofPhotographytoyourperusal,andforyourapprobation,Idosowiththeutmostconfidenceinyourabilityasapracticalman,longengagedinthescienceofwhichittreats,aswellasyourknowledgeofthesciencesgenerally;aswellasyourregardforcandor。

Toyou,therefore,IleavethedecisionwhetherornoIhaveaccomplishedmypurpose,andproducedaworkwhichmaynotonlybeofpracticalbenefittotheDaguerreanartist,butofgeneralinteresttothereadingpublic,andyourdecisionwillinfluencemeinofferingitfor,orwithholdingitfrom,publication。

Ifitmeetsyourapprobation,Iwouldmostrespectfullyaskpermissiontodedicateittoyou,subscribingmyself,Withesteem,Evertrulyyours,HENRYH。SNELLING

NewYork,February1st,1849。

Mr。H。H。SNELLING。

DearSir——YournoteofJanuary27th,requestingpermissiontodedicatetomeyour\"HistoryandPracticeofPhotography,\"

Iesteemahighcompliment,particularlysinceIhavereadthemanuscriptofyourwork。

Suchatreatisehaslongbeenneeded,andthemannerinwhichyouhavehandledthesubjectwillmakethebookasinterestingtothereadingpublicasitisvaluabletotheDaguerreanartist,ortheamateurdabblerinPhotography。

IhavereadnearlyallofthemanyworksuponthisartthathaveemanatedfromtheLondonandParispresses,andIthinkthereaderwillfindinyoursthepithofthemall,withmuchpracticalandusefulinformationthatI

donotremembertohaveseencommunicatedelsewhere。

ThereismuchinittoarousethereflectiveandinventivefacultiesofourDaguerreotypists。Theyhaveheretoforestumbledalongwithverylittleknowledgeofthetruetheoryoftheirart,andyetthequalityoftheirproductionsisfarinadvanceofthoseoftheFrenchandEnglishartists,mostofwhoseestablishmentsIhavehadthepleasureofvisitingIfeeltherefore,thatwhenasufficientamountoftheoreticknowledgeshallhavebeenaddedtothispracticalskillonthepartofouroperators,andwhentheyshallhavebeenmadefullyacquaintedwithwhathasbeenattainedorattemptedbyothers,astillgreateradvanceintheartwillbemanifested。

AGOODDaguerreotypistisbynomeansameremachinefollowingacertainsetoffixedrules。Successinthisartrequirespersonalskillandartistictastetoamuchgreaterdegreethantheunthinkingpublicgenerallyimagine;infactmorethanisimaginedbynine-tenthsoftheDaguerreotypiststhemselves。

Andweseeasanaturalresult,thatwhilethebusinessnumbersitsthousandsofvotaries,butfewrisetoanydegreeofeminence。

Itisbecausetheylookupontheirbusinessasameremechanicaloperation,andhavingnoaimorpridebeyondtheearningoftheirdailybread,theycalculatewhatwillbeafairpercentageonthecostoftheirplate,case,andchemicals,leavingMIND,whichisasmuchCAPITALasanythingelse(whereitisexercised,)

entirelyoutofthequestion。

TheartoftakingphotographsonPAPER,ofwhichyourworktreatsatconsiderablelength,hasasyetattractedbutlittleattentioninthiscountry,thoughdestined,asIfullybelieve,toattainanimportancefarsuperiortothattowhichtheDaguerreotypehasrisen。

TheAmericanmindneedsawakingupuponthesubject,andI

thinkyourbookwillgiveapowerfulimpulseinthisdirection。

InGermanyahighdegreeofperfectionhasbeenreached,andIhopeyourcountrymenwillnotbeslowtofollow。

YourinterestingaccountoftheexperimentsofMr。Wattleswasentirelynewtome,andisanotheramongthemanyevidencesthatwhentheageisfullyripeforanygreatdiscovery,itisrarethatitdoesnotoccurtomorethanasinglemind。

Trustingthatyourworkwillmeetwiththeencouragementwhichyourtroubleinpreparingitdeserves,andwithgratitudefortheundeservedcomplimentpaidtomeinitsdedication,Iremain,verysincerely,Yourfriendandwellwisher,E。ANTHONY。

PHOTOGRAPHY。

CHAP。I。

ABRIEFHISTORYOFTHEART。

AsinallcasesofgreatandvaluableinventionsinscienceandarttheEnglishlayclaimtothehonorofhavingfirstdiscoveredthatofPhotogenicdrawing。Butweshallseeintheprogressofthishistory,thatlikemanyotherassumptionsoftheirauthors,priorityinthisisnomoreduethem,thentheinventionofsteamboats,orthecottongin。

Thisclaimisfoundeduponthefactthatin1802Mr。WedgwoodrecordedanexperimentintheJournaloftheRoyalInstitutionofthefollowingnature。

\"Apieceofpaper,orotherconvenientmaterial,wasplaceduponaframeandspongedoverwithasolutionofnitrateofsilver;

itwasthenplacedbehindapaintingonglassandthelighttraversingthepaintingproducedakindofcopyuponthepreparedpaper,thosepartsinwhichtherayswereleastinterceptedbeingofthedarkesthues。Here,however,terminatedtheexperiment;

foralthoughbothMr。WedgwoodandSirHumphryDaveyexperimentedcarefully,forthepurposeofendeavoringtofixthedrawingsthusobtained,yettheobjectcouldnotbeaccomplished,andthewholeendedinfailure。\"

This,bytheirownshowing,wastheearliestattemptoftheEnglishsavans。

ButthismuchoftheprinciplewasknowntotheAlchemistsatanearlydate——

althoughpracticallyproducedinanotherway——asthefollowingexperiment,tobefoundinoldbooks,amplyproves。

\"Dissolvechalkinaquafortistotheconsistenceofmilk,andaddtoitastrongsolutionofsilver;keepthisliquorinaglassbottlewellstopped;

thencuttingoutfromapieceofpaperthelettersyouwouldhaveappear,pasteitonthedecanter,andlayitinthesun’sraysinsuchamannerthattheraysmaypassthroughthespacescutoutofthepaperandfallonthesurfaceoftheliquorthepartoftheglassthroughwhichtherayspasswillbeturnedblack,whilethatunderthepaperremainswhite;

butparticularcaremustbeobservedthatthebottlebenotmovedduringtheoperation。\"

Hadnotthealchemistsbeensointentuponthedesiretodiscoverthefarfamedphilosopher’sstone,astomakethemunmindfuloftheaccidentaldawningsofmorevaluablediscoveries,thislittleexperimentinchemistrymighthaveinducedthemtoprosecuteamorethoroughsearchintotheprinciple,andPhotogenicartwouldnotnow,asitis,beanewone。

ItisevenassertedthattheJugglersofIndiawereformanyagesinpossessionofasecretbywhichtheywereenabled,inabriefspace,tocopythelikenessofanyindividualbytheactionoflight。

Thisfact,iffactitbe,mayaccountforthecelebratedmagicmirrorssaidtobepossessedbythesejugglers,andprobablecauseoftheirpoweroverthepeople。

However,asearlyas1556thefactwasestablishedthatacombinationofchlorideandsilver。called,fromitsappearance,hornsilver,wasblackenedbythesun’srays;andinthelatterpartofthelastcenturyMrs。Fulhamepublishedanexperimentbywhichachangeofcolorwaseffectedinthechlorideofgoldbytheagencyoflight;

andgaveitasheropinionthatwordsmightbewritteninthisway。

TheseincidentsareconsideredasthefirststepstowardsthediscoveryofthePhotogenicart。

Mr。Wedgwood’sexperimentscanscarcelybesaidtobeanyimprovementonthemsincehefailedtobringthemtopracticalusefulness,andhiscountrymenwillhavetobesatisfiedwithawardingthehonorofitscompleteadaptationtopracticalpurposes,toMM。

NiepceandDaguerreofFrance,andtoProfessorsDraper,andMorseofNew-York。

Thesegentlemen——MM。NiepceandDaguerre——pursuedthesubjectsimultaneously,withouteither,howeverbeingawareoftheexperimentsofhiscolleagueinscience。Forseveralyears,eachpursuedhisresearchesindividuallyuntilchancemadethemacquainted,whentheyenteredintoco-partnership,andconjointlybroughttheartalmosttoperfection。

M。NiepcepresentedhisfirstpaperonthesubjecttotheRoyalSocietyin1827,naminghisdiscoveryHeliography。WhatledhimtothestudyoftheprinciplesoftheartIhavenomeans,atpresent,ofknowing,butitwasprobablyowingtothefactsrecordedbytheAlchemists,Mrs。Fulhameandothers,alreadymentioned。

ButM。Daguerre,whoisacelebrateddioramicpainter,beingdesirousofemployingsomeofthesingularlychangeablesaltsofsilvertoproduceapeculiarclassofeffectsinhispaintings,wasledtopursueaninvestigationwhichresultedinthediscoveryoftheDaguerreotype,orPhotogenicdrawingonplatesofcoppercoatedwithsilver。

Tothisgentleman——tohisliberality——areweAmericansindebtedforthefreeuseofhisinvention;andthelargeandincreasingclassofDaguerreanartistsofthiscountryshouldholdhiminthemostprofoundrespectforit。

Hewasnotwillingthatitshouldbeconfinedtoafewindividualswhomightmonopolisethebenefitstobederivedfromitspractice,andshutoutallchanceofimprovement。

Likeatrue,nobleheartedFrenchgentlemanhedesiredthathisinventionshouldspreadfreelythroughoutthewholeworld。

WiththeseviewsheopenednegociationswiththeFrenchgovernmentwhichwereconcludedmostfavorablytoboththeinventors,andFrancehasthe\"gloryofendowingthewholeworldofscienceandartwithoneofthemostsurprisingdiscoveriesthathonortheland。\"

Notwithstandingthis,ithasbeenpatentedinEnglandandtheresultiswhatmighthavebeenexpected:EnglishpicturesarefarbelowthestandardofexcellenceofthosetakenbyAmericanartists。

Ihaveseensomemediumportraits,forwhichaguineaeachhadbeenpaid,andtakentoo,byacelebratedartist,thatourpoorestDaguerreotypistswouldbeashamedtoshowtoasecondperson,muchlesssuffertoleavetheirrooms。

CALOTYPE,thenamegiventooneofthemethodsofPhotogenicdrawingonpaper,discovered,andperfectedbyMr。FoxTalbotofEngland,ispreciselyinthesamepredicament,notonlyinthatcountrybutintheUnitedStates,Mr。Talbotbeingpatenteeinboth。

Heisamanofsomewealth,Ibelieve,buthedemandssohighapriceforasinglerightinthiscountry,thatnonecanbefoundwhohavethetemeritytopurchase。

TheexecutionofhispicturesisalsoinferiortothosetakenbytheGermanartists,andIwouldremarkenpassant,thattheMessrs。

MeadexhibitedatthelastfairoftheAmericanInstitute,(of1848,)

fourCalotypes,whichoneofthefirmbroughtfromGermanylastSpring,thatforbeauty,depthoftoneandexcellenceofexecutionsurpassthefineststeelengraving。

WhenMr。Talbot’spatentfortheUnitedStatesexpiresandouringeniousYankeeboyshavetheopportunity,IhavenottheslightestdoubtoftheCalotype,intheirhands,entirelysupercedingtheDaguerreotype。

Letthem,therefore,studytheprinciplesoftheartaslaiddowninthislittlework,experiment,practiceandperfectthemselvesinit,andwhenthattimedoesarrivebepreparedtoproducethatdegreeofexcellenceinCalotypetheyhavealreadyobtainedinDaguerreotype。

ItistoProfessorSamuelF。B。Morse,thedistinguishedinventoroftheMagneticTelegraph,ofNewYork,thatweareindebtedfortheapplicationofPhotography,toportraittaking。

HewasinParis,forthepurposeofpresentingtothescientificworldhisElectro-MagneticTelegraph,atthetime,(1838,)M。Daguerreannouncedhissplendiddiscovery,anditsastoundingresultshavinganimportantbearingontheartsofdesignarrestedhisattention。

Inhislettertomeonthesubject,theProfessorgivesthefollowinginterestingfacts。

\"Theprocesswasasecret,andnegociationsweretheninprogress,forthedisclosureofittothepublicbetweentheFrenchgovernmentandthedistinguisheddiscoverer。M。Daguerrehadshownhisresultstotheking,andtoafewonlyofthedistinguishedsavans,andbytheadviceofM。Arago,haddeterminedtowaittheactionoftheFrenchChambers,beforeshowingthemtoanyotherpersons。

Iwasexceedinglydesirousofseeingthem,butknewnothowtoapproachM。Daguerrewhowasastrangertome。

OnmentioningmydesiretoRobertWalsh,Esq。,ourworthyConsul,hesaidtome;’statethatyouareanAmerican,theinventoroftheTelegraph,requesttoseethem,andinvitehiminturntoseetheTelegraph,andIknowenoughoftheurbanityandliberalfeelingsoftheFrench,toinsureyouaninvitation。’

Iwassuccessfullinmyapplication,andwithayoungfriend,sincedeceased,thepromisingsonofEdwardDelevan,Esq。,I

passedamostdelightfulhourwithM。Daguerre,andhisenchantingsun-pictures。Mylettercontaininganaccountofthisvisit,andthesepictures,wasthefirstannouncementinthiscountryofthissplendiddiscovery。\"

\"Imayhereaddthesingularsequeltothisvisit。OnthesucceedingdayM。DaguerrepaidmeavisittoseetheTelegraphandwitnessitsoperations。

Heseemedmuchgratifiedandremainedwithmeperhapstwohours;

twomelancholyhourstohim,astheyafterwardsproved;orwhilehewaswithme,hisbuildings,includinghisdiorama,hisstudio,hislaboratory,withallthebeautifulpicturesIhadseenthedaybefore,wereconsumedbyfire。Fortunatelyformankind,matteronlywasconsumed,thesoulandmindofthegenius,andtheprocesswerestillinexistence。\"

Onhisreturnhome,ProfessorMorsewaitedwithimpatiencefortherevelationofM。Daguerre’sprocess,andnosoonerwasitpublishedthanheprocuredacopyoftheworkcontainingit,andatoncecommencedtakingDaguerreotypepictures。

Atfirsthisobjectwassolelytofurnishhisstudiowithstudiesfromnature;buthisexperimentsledhimintoabeliefofthepracticabilityofprocuringportraitsbytheprocess,andhewasundoubtedlythefirstwhoseattemptswereattendedwithsuccess。Thinking,atthattime,thatitwasnecessarytoplacethesittersinaverystronglight,theywerealltakenwiththeireyesclosed。

Otherswereexperimentingatthesametime,amongthemMr。WolcottandProf。Draper,andMr。Morse,withhisacustomedmodesty,thinksthatitwouldbedifficulttosaytowhomisduethecreditofthefirstDaguerreotypeportrait。

Atallevents,sofarasmyknowledgeservesme,ProfessorMorsedeservesthelaurelwreath,asfromhimoriginatedthefirstofourinumerableclassofDaguerreotypists;andmanyofhispupilshavecarriedthemanipulationtoverygreatperfection。

InconnectionwiththismatterIwillgivetheconcludingparagraphofaprivateletterfromtheProfessortome;Hesays。

\"Ifminewerethefirst,otherexperimenterssoonmadebetterresults,andifthereareanywhodisputethatIwasfirst,Ishallhavenoargumentwiththem;forIwasnotsoanxioustobethefirsttoproducetheresult,astoproduceitinanyway。Iesteemitbutthenaturalcarryingoutofthewonderfuldiscovery,andthatthecreditwasafterallduetoDaguerre。

Ilaynoclaimtoanyimprovements。\"

SinceIcommencedthecompilationofthiswork,IhavehadthepleasureofmakingtheacquaintanceofanAmericangentleman——JamesM。WattlesEsq。——

whoasearlyas1828——anditwillbeseen,bywhatIhavealreadystated,thatthisisaboutthesamedateofM。Niepce’sdiscovery——hadhisattentionattractedtothesubjectofPhotography,orashetermedit\"Solarpicturedrawing,\"whiletakinglandscapeviewsbymeansofthecamera-obscura。

Whenwereflectuponallthecircumstancesconnectedwithhisexperiments,thegreatdisadvantagesunderwhichbelabored,andhisextremeyouthfullness,wecannotbutfeelanationalpride——yetwonder——thatamereyankeeboy,surroundedbythedeepestforests,hundredofmilesfromthepopulousportionofourcountry,withoutthenecessarymaterials,orresourcesforprocuringthem,shouldbytheforceofhisnaturalgeniusmakeadiscovery,andputitinpracticaluse,toaccomplishwhich,themostlearnedphilosophersofEurope,witheveryrequisiteapparatus,andaprofoundknowledgeofchemistry——spentyearsoftoiltoaccomplish。

HowmuchmorelatenttalentmaynowbeslumberingfromtheverysamecausewhichkeptMr。Wattlesfrompubliclyrevealinghisdiscoveries,viz;

wantofencouragement——ridicule!

Atthetimewhentheideaoftakingpicturespermanentlyonpaperbymeansofthecamera-obscurafirstoccurredtohim,hewasbutsixteenyearsofage,andundertheinstructionsofMr。CharlesLeSeuer,(atalentedartistfromParis)attheNewHarmonyschool,Indiana。

Drawingandpaintingbeingthenaturalbentofhismind,bewasfrequentlyemployedbytheprofessorstomakelandscapesketchesinthemannermentioned。Thebeautyoftheimageoftheselandscapesproducedonthepaperinthecamera-obscura,causedhimtopauseandadmirethemwithalltheardorofayoungartist,andwishthatbysomemeans,hecouldfixthemthereinalltheirbeauty。

Fromwishinghebroughthimselftothinkthatitwasnotonlypossiblebutactuallycapableofaccomplishmentandfromthinkingitcould,heresolveditshouldbedone。

Hewas,however,whollyignorantofeventhefirstprinciplesofchemistry,andnaturalphilosophy,andalltheknowledgehewasenabledtoobtainfromhisteacherswasofverylittleservicetohim。

Toaddtothis,wheneverhementionedhishopestohisparents,theylaughedathim,andbadehimattendtohisstudiesandletsuchmoonshinethoughtsalone——stillhepersevered,thoughsecretly,andhemetwiththesucceshispeseverancedeserved。

Forthetruthofhisstatement,Mr。Wattlesreferstosomeofourmostrespectablecitizensresidingatthewest,andIaminhopesthatIshallbeenabledtoreceiveintimeforthispublication,aconfirmationfromoneormoreofthesegentlemen。Bethatasitmay,IfeelconfidentintheintegrityofMr。Wattles,andcangivehisstatementtotheworldwithoutadoubtofitstruth。

Thefollowingsketchofhisexperimentsandtheirresultswill,undoubtedly,beinterestingtoeveryAmericanreaderandalthoughsomeoftheprofoundphilosophersofEuropemaysmileathismethodofproceeding,itwillinsomemeasureshowtheinnategeniusofAmericanminds,andprovethatwearenotfarbehindourtrans-atlanticbrethrenintheartsandsciences。

Mr。Wattlessays:\"Inmyfirsteffortstoeffectthedesiredobject,theywerefeebleindeed,andowingtomylimitedknowledgeofchemistry——

whollyacquiredbyquestioningmyteachers——Imetwithrepeatedfailuresbutfollowingthemupwithadeterminedspirit,Iatlastproduced,whatIthoughtveryfairsamples——buttoproceedtomyexperiments。\"

\"Ifirstdippedaquartersheetofthinwhitewritingpaperinaweaksolutionofcaustic(asIthencalledit)anddrieditinanemptybox,tokeepitinthedark;whendry,Iplaceditinthecameraandwatcheditwithgreatpatiencefornearlyhalfanhour,withoutproducinganyvisibleresult;evidentlyfromthesolutionbeingtoweak。

Ithensoakedthesamepieceofpaperinasolutionofcommonpotash,andthenagainincausticwateralittlestrongerthanthefirst,andwhendryplaceditinthecamera。Inaboutforty-fiveminutesI

plainlypercievedtheeffect,inthegradualdarkeningofvariouspartsoftheview,whichwastheoldstonefortintherearoftheschoolgarden,withthetrees,fence,&c。Ithenbecameconvincedofthepracticabilityofproducingbeautifulsolarpicturesinthisway;but,alas!mypicturevanishedandwithit,all——nonotall——myhopes。WithreneweddeterminationIbeganagainbystudyingthenatureofthepreparation,andcametotheconclusion,thatifIcoulddestroythepartnotacteduponbythelightwithoutinjuringthatwhichwassoactedupon,Icouldsavemypictures。Ithenmadeastrongsolutionofsal。

sodaIhadinthehouse,andsoakedmypaperinit,andthenwasheditoffinhotwater,whichperfectlyfixedtheviewuponthepaper。

Thispaperwasverypoorwiththickspots,moreabsorbentthanotherparts,andconsequentlymadedarkshadesinthepicturewheretheyshouldnothavebeen;butitwasenoughtoconvincemethatIhadsucceeded,andthatatsomefuturetime,whenIhadthemeansandamoreextensiveknowledgeofchemistry,Icouldapplymyselftoitagain。

Ihavedonesosince,atvarioustimes,withperfectsuccess;

butineveryinstancelaboringunderadversecircumstances。\"

Ihaveveryrecentlylearned,that,underthepresentpatentlawsoftheUnitedStates,everyforeignpatenteeisrequiredtoputhisinvention,ordiscovery,intopracticalusewithineighteenmonthsaftertakingouthispapers,orotherwiseforfeithispatent。

WithregardtoMr。Talbot’sCalotypepatent,thistimehasnearly,ifnotquiteexpired,andmycountrymenarenowatperfectlibertytoappropriatetheartiftheyfeeldisposed。

FromthestatementofMr。Wattles,itwillbeperceivedthatthiscanbedonewithoutdishonor,asinthefirstinstanceMr。Talbothadnopositiverighttohispatent。

Photography;orsun-paintingisdivided,accordingtothemethodsadoptedforproducingpictures,intoDAGUERREOTYPE,CHROMATYPE,CALOTYPE,ENERGIATYPE,CHRYSOTYPE,ANTHOTYPEandCYANOTYPE,AMPHITYPE。

CHAP。II。

THETHEORYONLIGHT。——THEPHOTOGRAPHICPRINCIPLE

SomephilosopherscontendthattotheexistenceoflightaloneweowethebeautifuleffectsproducedbythePhotogenicart,whileothersgivesufficientreasonsfordoubtingthecorrectnessoftheassumption。

Thattheresultsareeffectedbyaprincipleassociatedwithlightandnotbytheluminousprincipleitself,isthemostprobableconclusion。

Theimportanceofaknowledgeofthisfactbecomesmostessentialinpractice,aswillpresentlybeseen。TothisprincipleMr。HuntgivesthenameofENERGIA。

THENATUREofLightisnotwhollyknown,butitisgenerallybelievedtobematter,asinitsmotionsitobeysthelawsregulatingmatter。

Socloselyisitconnectedwithheatandelectricitythattherecanbelittledoubtoftheirallbeingbutdifferentmodificationsofthesamesubstance。

Iwillnot,however,enterintoastatementofthevarioustheoriesofPhilosophersonthishead,butcontentmyselfwiththatofSirIsaacNewton;

whosupposedraysoflighttoconsistofminuteparticlesofmatter,whichareconstantlyemanatingfromluminousbodiesandcausevision,asodoriferousparticles,proceedingfromcertainbodies,causesmelling。

Theeffectsoflightuponotherbodies,andhowlightiseffectedbythem,involvesomeofthemostimportantprinciples,whichifproperlyunderstoodbyDaguerreotypistswouldenablethemtoimproveandcorrectmanyofthepracticaloperationsintheirart。

Theseeffectsweshallexhibitinthisandthefollowingchapters。

BeforeweenteronthissubjectitwillbenecessarytobecomefamiliarwiththeDEFINITIONSofsomeofthetermsusedinthescienceofoptics。

Luminousbodiesareoftwokinds;thosewhichshinebytheirownlight,andthosewhichshinebyreflectedlight。

Transparentbodiesaresuchaspermitraysoflighttopassthroughthem。

Translucentbodiespermitlighttopassfaintly,butwithoutrepresentingthefigureofobjectsseenthroughthem。

Opaquebodiespermitnolighttopassthroughthem,butreflectlight。

Arayisalineoflight。

Abeamisacollectionofparallelrays。

Apencilisacollectionofconverging,ordivergingrays。

Amediumisanyspacethroughwhichlightpasses。

Incidentraysarethosewhichfalluponthesurfaceofabody。

Reflectedraysarethosewhicharethrownofffromabody。

Parallelraysaresuchasproceedequallydistantfromeachotherthroughtheirwholecourse。

Convergingraysaresuchasapproachandtendtouniteatanyonepoint,asatb。fig。3。

Divergingraysarethosewhichcontinuetorecedefromeachother,asate。Fig。3。

AFocusisthatpointatwhichconvergingraysmeet。

MOTIONOFLIGHT——Raysoflightarethrownofffromluminousbodiesineverydirection,butalwaysinstraightlines,whichcrosseachotherateverypoint;buttheparticlesofwhicheachrayconsistsaresominutethattheraysdonotappeartobeimpededbyeachother。

Arayoflightpassingthroughanapertureintoadarkroom,proceedsinastraightline;afactofwhichanyonemaybeconvincedbygoingintoadarkenedroomandadmitinglightonlythroughasmallaperture。

Lightalsomoveswithgreatvelocity,butbecomesfainterasitrecedesfromthesourcefromwhichiteminates;inotherwords,divergingraysoflightdiminishinintensityasthesquareofthedistanceincreases。

Forinstanceletafig。1,representtheluminousbodyfrom[hipho_1。gif]

whichlightproceeds,andsupposethreesquareboards,b。c。d。

severallyone,fourandsixteensquareinchesinsizebeplaced;

bonefoot,ctwofeet,anddfourfeetfroma,itwillbeperceivedthatthesmallestboardbwillthrowcintoshadow;

thatis,obstructallraysoflightthatwouldotherwisefallonc,andifbwereremovedcwouldinlikemannerhidethelightfromd——Now,ifbrecieveasmuchlightaswouldfalloncwhosesurfaceisfourtimesaslarge,thelightmustbefourtimesaspowerfulandsixteentimesaspowerfulasthatwhichwouldfallonthesecondandthirdboards,becausethesamequantityoflightisdiffusedoveraspacefourandsixteentimesgreater。

Thesesameraysmaybecollectedandtheirintensityagainincreased。

Raysoflightarereflectedfromonesurfacetoanother;Refracted,orbent,astheypassfromthesurfaceofonetransparentmediumtoanother;andInflected,orturnedfromtheircourse,bytheattractionofopaquebodies。Fromthefirstwederivetheprinciplesonwhichmirrorsareconstructed;

tothesecondweareindebtedforthepowerofthelenses,andtheblessingsofsight,——forthelightactsupontheretinaoftheeyeinthesamemannerasonthelensofacamera。

Thelatterhasnoimportantbearinguponoursubject。

Whenarayoflightfallsperpendicularlyuponanopaquebody,itisreflectedbarkinthesamelineinwhichitproceeds;

inthiscasethereflectedrayreturnsinthesamepaththeincidentraytraversed;butwhenarayfallsobliquely,itisreflectedobliquely,thatis,itisthrownoffinoppositedirection,andasfarfromtheperpendicularaswastheincidentray,asshownatFig。2;arepresentingtheincidentrayandbthereflected。

Thepoint,oranglecmadeby[hipho_2。gif]

theincidentray,atthesurfaceofthereflectoref,withalinecd,perpendiculartothatsurface,iscalledtheangleofincidence,whiletheangleformedbythereflectedraybandtheperpendicularlinediscalledtheangleofreflection,andtheseanglesarealwaysequal。

Itisbythisreflectionoflightthatobjectsaremadevisible;

butunlesslightfallsdirectlyupontheeyetheyareinvisible,andarenotsensiblyfeltuntilafteracertainseriesofoperationsuponthevariouscoveringsandhumorsoftheeye。

Smoothandpolishedsurfacesreflectlightmostpowerfully,andsendtotheeyetheimagesoftheobjectsfromwhichthelightproceededbeforereflection。Glass,whichistransparent——

transmittinglight——wouldbeofnousetousasamirror,wereitnotfirstcoatedononesidewithametalicamalgam,whichinterruptstheraysintheirpassagefromtheglassintotheair,andthrowsthemeitherdirectlyintheincidentline,orinanobliquedirection。Thereasonwhytrees,rocksandanimalsarenotallmirrors,reflectingotherformsinsteadoftheirown,is,thattheirsurfacesareuneven,andraysoflightreflectedfromanunevensurfacearediffusedinalldirections。

Parallelraysfallingobliquelyuponaplanemirrorarereflectedparallel;

convergingrays,withthesamedegreeofconvergence;anddivergingraysequallydivergent。

Standbeforeamirrorandyourimageisformedtherein,andappearstobeasfarbehindtheglassasyouarebeforeit,makingtheangleofreflectionequaltothatofincidence,asbeforestated。Theincidentrayandthereflectedrayform,together,whatiscalledthepassageofreflection,andthiswillthereforemaketheactualdistanceofanimagetoappearasfaragainfromtheeyeasitreallyis。

Anyobjectwhichreflectslightiscalledaradiant。

Thepointbehindareflectingsurface,fromwhichtheyappeartodiverge,iscalledthevirtualfocus。

Raysoflightbeingreflectedatthesameangleatwhichtheyfalluponamirror,twopersonscanstandinsuchapositionthateachcanseetheimageoftheotherwithoutseeinghisown。

Again;youmayseeyourwholefigureinamirrorhalfyourlength,butifyoustandbeforeoneafewinchesshorterthewholecannotbereflected,astheincidentraywhichpassesfromyourfeetintothemirrorintheformercase,willinthelatterfallunderit。

Imagesarealwaysreversedinmirrors。

Convexmirrorsreflectlightfromaroundedsurfaceanddispersetheraysineverydirection,causingparallelraystodiverge,divergingraystodivergemore,andconvergingraystoconvergeless——

Theyrepresentobjectssmallerthantheyreallyare——becausetheangleformedbythereflectedrayisrenderedmoreacutebyaconvexthanbyaplanesurface,anditisthediminishingofthevisualangle,bycausingraysoflighttobefartherextendedbeforetheymeetinapoint,whichproducestheimageofconvexmirrors。Thegreatertheconvexityofamirror,themorewilltheimagesoftheobjectsbediminished,andthenearerwilltheyappeartothesurface。

Thesemirrorsfurnishsciencewithmanycuriousandpleasingfacts。

Concavemirrorsarethereverseofconvex;thelatterbeingroundedoutwards,theformerhollowedinwards——theyrenderraysoflightmoreconverging——

collectraysinsteadofdispersingthem,andmagnifyobjectswhiletheconvexdiminishesthem。

Raysoflightmaybecollectedinthefocusofamirrortosuchintensityastomeltmetals。Theordinaryburningglassisanillustrationofthisfact;

althoughtheraysoflightarerefracted,orpassedthroughtheglassandconcentratedintoafocusbeneath。

Whenincidentraysareparallel,thereflectedraysconvergetoafocus,butwhentheincidentraysproceedfromafocus,oraredivergent,theyarereflectedparallel。Itisonlywhenanobjectisnearertoaconcavemirrorthanitscentreofconcavity,thatitsimageismagnified;

forwhentheobjectisfartherfromthemirror,thiscentrewillappearlessthantheobject,andinaninvertedposition。

Thecentreofconcavityinaconcavemirror,isanimaginarypointplacedinthecentreofacircleformedbycontinuingtheboundaryoftheconcavityofthemirrorfromanyonepointoftheedgetoanotherparalleltoandbeneathit。

REFRACTIONOFLIGHT:——Inowpasstotheconsiderationofthepassageoflightthroughbodies。

Arayoflightfailingperpendicularlythroughtheairuponasurfaceofglassorwaterpassesoninastraightlinethroughthebody;

butifit,inpassingfromonemediumtoanotherofdifferentdensity,fallobliquely,itisbentfromitsdirectcourseandrecedesfromit,eithertowardstherightorleft,andthisbendingiscalledrefraction;

(seefig。3,b。)Ifarayoflightpassesfromararerintoadensermediumitisrefractedtowardsaperpendicularinthatmedium;butifitpassesfromadenserintorareritisbentfurtherfromaperpendicularinthatmedium。

Owingtothisbendingoftheraysoflighttheanglesofrefractionandincidenceareneverequal。

Transparentbodiesdifferintheirpowerofbendinglight——

asageneralrule,therefractivepowerisproportionedtothedensity——butthechemicalconstitutionofbodiesaswellastheirdensity,isfoundtoeffecttheirrefractingpower。

Inflamablebodiespossessthispowertoagreatdegree。

Thesinesoftheangleofincidenceandrefraction(thatis,theperpendiculardrawnfromtheextremityofanarctothediameterofacircle,)arealwaysinthesameratio;viz:fromairintowater,thesineoftheangleofrefractionisnearlyasfourtothree,whateverbethepositionoftheraywithrespecttotherefractingsurface。

Fromairintosulphur,thesineoftheangleofrefractionisastwotoone——

thereforetheraysoflightcannotberefractedwheneverthesineoftheangleofrefractionbecomesequaltotheradius*ofacircle,andlightfallingveryobliquelyuponatransparentmediumceasestoberefracted;thisistermedtotalreflection。

*TheRADIUSofacircleisastraightlinepassingfromthecentretothecircumference。

Sincethebrightnessofareflectedimagedependsuponthequantityoflight,itisquiteevidentthatthoseimageswhicharisefromtotalreflectionarebyfarthemostvivid,asinordinarycasesofreflectionaportionoflightisabsorbed。

Ishouldbepleasedtoentermorefullyintothisbranchofthescienceofoptics,buttheboundstowhichIamnecessarilylimitedinaworkofthiskindwillnotadmitofit。

Inthenextchapter,however,IshallgiveasynopsisofMr。Hunt’streatiseonthe\"InfluenceoftheSolarRaysonCompoundBodies,withespecialreferencetotheirPhotographicapplication\"——

AworkwhichshouldbeinthehandsofeveryDaguerreotypist,andwhichIhopesoontoseerepublishedinthiscountry。

IwillconcludethischapterwithabriefstatementoftheprinciplesuponwhichthePhotographicartisfounded。

SOLARandStellerlightcontainsthreekindsofrays,viz:

1。Colorific,orraysofcolor。

2。Calorific,orraysofheat。

3。Chemicalrays,orthosewhichproducechemicaleffects。

OnthefirstandthirdthePhotographicprincipledepends。

Inexplainingthisprincipletheaccompanyingwoodcuts,(figs。3and4)willrenderitmoreintelligible。

Ifapencilofthesun’sraysfalluponaprism,itisbentinpassingthroughthetransparentmedium;andsomeraysbeingmorerefractedthanothers,weprocureanelongatedimageoftheluminousbeam,exhibitingthreedistinctcolors,red,yellowandblue,whicharetoberegardedasprimitives——andfromtheirinterblending,seven,asrecordedbyNewton,andshownintheaccompanyingwoodcut。

Theseraysbeingabsorbed,orreflecteddifferentlybyvariousbodies,givetonaturethecharmofcolor。Thustotheeveisgiventhepleasurewederiveinlookinguponthegreenfieldsandforests,theenumerablevarietiesofflowers,theglowingruby,jasper,topaz,amethist,andemerald,thebrilliantdiamond,andalltherichandvariedhuesofnature,bothanimateandinanimate。

[hipho_3。gif]

Now,ifweallowthisprismaticspectrum(b。fig。3。)tofalluponanysurface(asatc。)preparedwithasensitivephotographiccompound,weshallfindthatthechemicaleffectproducedbearsnorelationtotheintensityofthelightofanyparticularcoloredray,butthat,onthecontrary,itisdispersedoverthelargestportionofthespectrum,beingmostenergeticintheleastluminousrays,andeveractiveoveranextensivespace,wherenotracesoflightcanbedetected。Fig。4,willgivethestudentabetterideaofthisprinciple。Itisacopyofthekindofimpressionwhichthespectrum,spokenof,wouldmakeonapieceofpapercoveredwithaverysensitivephotographicpreparation。

Thewhitespacea。correspondswiththemostluminous,oryellowray,(5,fig。3)overlimitsofwhichallchemicalchangeisprevented。

Asimilaractionisalsoproducedbythelowerendoftheredrayc;

butintheupperportion,howeverwefindadecidedchange(asatd)。Themostactivechemicalchange,youwillpercieve,isproducedbytheraysabovetheyellowa;viz。4,3,2and1

(asatb)thegreen(4)beingtheleastactive,andtheblue(3)andviolet(1)raysthemostso,theactionstillcontinuingfarbeyondthepointbwhichistheendoftheluminousimage。

[hipho_4。gif]

SupposewewishtocopybytheDaguerreotype,orCalotypeprocess,anyobjectshighlycolored——blue,redandyellow,forinstancepredominating——

thelastofcoursereflectsthemostlight,thebluetheleast;

buttheraysfromthebluesurfacewillmakethemostintenseimpression,whilsttheredradiationsareworkingveryslowly,andtheyellowremainsentirelyinactive。Thisaccountsforthedifficultyexperiencedincopyingbrightgreenfoliage,orwarmlycoloredportraits;alargeportionoftheyellowandredraysenteringintothecompositionofboth——

andtheimperfectionsofaDaguerreotypeportraitofapersonwithafreckledfacedependsuponthesamecause。

Ayellow,hazyatmosphere,evenwhenthelightisverybright,willeffectuallypreventanygoodphotographicresult——

andintheheightofsummer,withthemostsensativeprocess,itnotunfrequentlyhappensthatthemostanoyingfailuresarisefromthisagencyofayellowmedium。Abuildingpaintedofayellowcolor,whichmayreflectthesun’sraysdirectlyintotheoperator’sroomwillhavethesameeffect。

Daguerreotypists,beingignorantofthesefacts,areveryapttochargetheirwantofsuccesstotheplates,orchemicals,oranythingbuttherealcause;anditwouldbewelltobearthesefactsconstantlyinmindandasfaraspossibleavoidthem。

This,maybeaccomplished,inameasure,byachoiceoflocationorbyhavingtheglassofyourwindowstingedwithblue;orascreenofthinbluepapermaybeinterposedbetweenthelightandsitter。

Inselectingsubjects,allstrikingcontrastsincolorshouldbeavoided,andsittersforportraitsshouldbecautionednottowearanythingthatmayproducetheeffectspokenof——

darkdressesalwaysbeingthebest。

Theactionoflightbothcombinesanddecomposesbodies。

Forinstance,chlorineandhydrogenwillremaininaglassvesselwithoutalterationifkeptinthedark;butifexposedtotheraysofthesun,theyimmediatelyenterintocombination,andproducehydrochloricacid。

Ontheotherhand,ifcolorlessnitricacidbeexposedtothesun,itbecomesyellow,thenchangestored,andoxygenisliberatedbythepartialdecompositioneffectedbythesolarrays。

Oftheorganicsubstancesnonearemorereadilyacteduponbylightthanthevariouscombinationsofsilver。

Ofthesesomearemore,andotherslesssensitive。IfChlorideofsilver,whichisawhiteprecipitateformedbyaddingchlorideofsodium(commonsalt)

toasolutionofnitrateofsilver,beexposedtodiffusedlight,itspeedilyassumesaviolettint,andultimatelybecomesnearlyblack。

Withiodideofsilver,bromideofsilver,ammonio-nitrateofsilver,andothersaltsofthismetal,theresultwillbemuchthesame。

Somebodies,whichundertheinfluenceoflight,undergochemicalchanges,havethepowerofrestoringthemselvestotheiroriginalconditioninthedark。Thisismoreremarkablydisplayedintheiodideofplatinum,whichreadilyrecievesaphotogenicimagebydarkeningovertheexposedsurfaces,butspeedilylosesitbybleachinginthedark。

TheioduretofDaguerre’splate,andsomeotheriodides,exhibitthesamepeculiarity——Thisleadsustothestrikingfact,thatbodieswhichhaveundergoneachangeofestateundertheinfluenceofday-lighthavesomelatentpowerbywhichtheycanrenovatethemselves。

Possiblythehoursofnightareasnecessarytoinanimatenatureastheyaretotheanimate。Duringtheday,anexcitementwhichwedonotheed,unlessinastateofdisease,ismaintainedbytheinfluenceoflightandthehoursofrepose,duringwhichtheequilibriumisrestored,areabsolutelynecessarytothecontinuanceofhealth。

Insteadofafewchemicalcompoundsofgoldandsilver,whichatfirstwerealonesupposedtobephotographic,wearenowawarethatcopper,platinum,lead,nikel,andindeed,probablyalltheelements,areequallyliablytochangeunderthesun’sinfluence。Thisfactmaybeofbenefittoengravers,forifsteelcanbemadetotakephotographicimpressions,themorelaboriousprocessofetchingmaybedispensedwith。

Infact,inthelatterpartofthiswork,aprocessisdescribedforetchingandtakingprintedimpressionsfromDaguerreotypeplates。

Asyetthisprocesshasproducednodecidedbeneficialresults——

butfutureexperimentsmayaccomplishsomepracticaldiscoveryofintrinsicvaluetotheartofengraving。

Averysimpleexperimentwillprovehowessentiallightistothecoloringofthevariousspeciescomprisingthevegetableandanimalkingdoms。

Ifwetransplantanyshrubfromthelightofdayintoadarkcellar,wewillsoonseeitloseitsbrightgreencolor,andbecomeperfectlywhite。

Anothereffectoflightisthatitappearstoimparttobodiessomepowerbywhichtheymorereadilyenterintochemicalcombinationwithothers。

Wehavealreadysaidthatchlorineandhydrogen,ifkeptinthedark,willremainunaltered;butifthechlorinealonebepreviouslyexposedtothesun,thechlorinethussolarisedwillunitewiththehydrogeninthedark。

Sulphateofironwillthrowdowngoldorsilverfromtheirsolutionsslowlyinthedark;butifeithersolutionbefirstexposedtosunshine,andthemixturebethenmade,inthedark,theprecipitationtakesplaceinstantly。

Hereisagain,evidenceofeitheranabsorptionofsomematerialagentfromthesunbeam,oranalterationinthechemicalconstitutionofthebody。

ItwasfromunderstandingtheseprinciplesandapplyingthemthatphilosopherswereenabledtoproducetheCalotype,Daguerreotype,&c。Fortheeffectsandactionoflightonthecamera,seeChapterV。

SomeadvanceshavebeenmadetowardsproducingPhotographicimpressionsincolor——theimpossibilityofwhichsomeofourbestandoldestartistshavemostpertinaciouslymaintained。

Thecoloredimageofthespectrumhasbeenmostfaithfullycopied,rayforray,onpaperspreadwiththejuiceoftheCochorusJaponica,(aspeciesofplant)andthefluorideofsilver;

andonsilverplatecoveredwithathinfilmofchloride。

Thedaymaybestillremotewhenthismuchtobedesireddecideratumshallbeaccomplishedinportraittaking;

butIamledtohopethatfutureexperimentsmaymasterthesecretwhichnowcausesittobelookedupon,bymany,asanimpossibility。

Thatgreatadvantageshaveresulted,andthatgreaterstillwillresultfromthediscoveryofthePhotographicart,fewwilldeny。

Thefaithfulmannerinwhichitcopiesnature,eventothemostminutedetails,rendersitofmuchvaluetothepainter;butafewminutessufficingtotakeaviewthatformerlywouldhaveoccupiedseveraldays。

Itssuperiorityinportraits,overminiatureoroilpaintinghasbeentacitlyacknowledgedbythethousandswhoemployittosecuretheirown,orafriendslikeness,andbythesteadyincreaseinthenumberofartistswhoareweekly,ayedailyspringingupineverytownandvillageintheland。

CHAP。III。

SYNOPSISOFMR。HUNT’STREATISEON\"THEINFLUENCEOFTHE

SOLARRAYSONCOMPOUNDBODIES,WITHESPECIALREFERENCETO

THEIRPHOTOGRAPHICAPPLICATION。\"

OXIDEOFSILVERexposedforafewhourstogoodsunshine,passesintoamoredecidedolivecolor,thancharacterisesitwhenfirstpreparedbyprecipitationfromnitrateofsilver。

Longerexposurerendersthiscolorverymuchlighter,andthecoveredparts,arefoundmuchdarker,thanthoseonwhichthelighthasacteddirectly。Insomeinstanceswheretheoxideofsilverhasbeenspreadonthepaperadecidedwhiteningprocessinsomeparts,afterafewdaysexposure,isnoticed。

Oxideofsilverdisolvedinammoniaisavaluablephotographicfluid;

oneapplicationofastrongsolutionforminganexceedinglysensitivesurface。Thepicturesonthispaperareeasilyfixedbysaltorweakammonia。

NITRATEOFSILVER。——Thissaltinastateofpurity,doesnotappeartobesensiblyaffectedbylight,butthepresenceofthesmallestportionoforganicmatterrendersitexceedinglyliabletochangeunderluminousinfluence。

Ifapieceofnitratedpaperisplaceduponhotiron,orheldnearthefire,itwillbefoundthatataheatjustbelowthatatwhichthepaperchars,thesaltisdecomposed。

Wheretheheatisgreatest,thesilverisrevived,andimmediatelyaroundit,thepaperbecomesadeepblue;

beyondthisaprettydecidedgreencolorresults,andbeyondthegreen,ayelloworyellowbrownstainismade。

Thisexhibitsaremarkableanalogybetweenheatandlight,——

beforespokenofinchap。II——andisofsomepracticalimportanceinthepreparationofthepaper。

PRISMATICANALYSIS。——Themethodofaccomplishingtheprismaticdecompositionofraysoflightbythespectrumhasalreadybeendescribedonpages22

and23。Thecoloroftheimpressedspectrum,onpaperwashedwithnitrateofsilver,isatfirst,apalebrown,whichpassesslowlyintoadeepershade;

thatportioncorrespondingwiththeblueraysbecomingabluebrown;

andunderthevioletofapeculiarpinkeyshade,averydecidedgreentint,onthepointwhichcorrespondswiththeleastrefrangiblebluerays,maybeobserved,itslimitsofactionbeingnearthecentreoftheyellowray,anditsmaximumaboutthecentreoftheblue,althoughtheactionuptotheedgeofthevioletrayiscontinuedwithverylittlediminutionofeffect;

beyondthispointtheactionisveryfeeble。

Whenthespectrumismadetoactonpaperwhichhasbeenpreviouslydarkened,byexposuretosunshineundercupro-sulphateofammonia,thephenomenaaremateriallydifferent。

Thephotographicspectrumislengthenedoutontheredornegativesidebyafaintbutveryvisibleredportion,whichextendsfullyuptotheendoftheredrays,asseenbythenakedeye。

Thetintofthegeneralspectrum,too,insteadofbrownisdarkgrey,passing,however,atitsmostrefractedorpositiveendintoaruddybrown。

InitsPhotographicapplication,thenitrateofsilveristhemostvaluableofthesaltsofthatmetal,asfromitmostoftheotherargentinecompoundscanbeprepared,althoughitisnotofitselfsufficientlysensibletolighttorenderitofmuchuse。

CHLORIDEOFSILVER。——Thissaltofsilver,whetherinitsprecipitatedstate,orwhenfused,changesitscolortoafinebluishgreybyaveryshortexposuretothesun’srays。

Ifcombinedwithasmallquantityofnitrate,thechangeismorerapid,itattainsadeepbrown,thenslowlypassesintoafineolive,andeventually,afterafewweeks,themetalicsilverisseentoberevivedonthesurfaceofthesalt。

Greatdifferencesofcolorareproducedonchloridesofsilverprecipitatedbydifferentmuriates。Nearlyeveryvarietyincombinationwiththenitrate,becomesatlastofthesameolivecolor,thefollowingexamples,therefore,havereferencetoafewminutesexposure,only,togoodsunshine;itmustalsoberecollectedthatthechlorideofsilverinthesecasesiscontaminatedwiththeprecipitant。

Muriateofammoniaprecipitateschloridetodarkentoafinechocolatebrown,whilstmuriateoflimeproducesabrick-redcolor。

Muriatesofpotashandsodaaffordaprecipitate,whichdarkensspeedlytoapuredarkbrown,andmuriaticacid,oraqueouschlorine,donotappeartoincreasethedarkeningpowerbeyondthelilactowhichthepurechlorideofsilverchangesbyexposure。

Thisdifferenceofcolorappearstobeowingtotheadmixtureoftheearthoralkaliusedwiththesilversalt。

Theprismaticimpressiononpaperspreadwiththechlorideofsilverisoftenverybeautifullytinted,theintensityofcolorvaryingwiththekindofmuriateused。Spreadpaperwithmuriateofammoniaorbarytaandyouobtainarangeofcolorsnearlycorrespondingwiththenaturalhuesoftheprismaticspectrum。

Underfavorablecircumstancesthemeanredray,leavesaredimpression,whichpassesintoagreenoverthespaceoccupiedbytheyellowrays。

Abovethisaleadenhueisobserved,andaboutthemeanblueray,wheretheactionisgreatest,itrapidlypassesthroughbrownintoblack,andthroughthemostrefrangibleraysitgraduallydeclinesintoabluishbrown,whichtintiscontinuedthroughouttheinvisiblerays。Attheleastrefrangibleendofthespectrum,theveryremarkablephenomenonhasbeenobserved,oftheextremeredraysexertingaprotectinginfluence,andpreservingthepaperfromthatchange,whichitwouldotherwiseundergo,undertheinfluenceofthedispersedlightwhichalwayssurroundsthespectrum。

Notonlytheextremeredrayexertsthisverypeculiarproperty,buttheordinaryredraythroughnearlyitswholelength。

Inphotographicdrawingthissaltisoftheutmostimportance。

Mr。Talbot’sapplicationofitwillbegivenhereafterinanotherportionofthiswork。

IODIDEOFSILVER——Perfectlypure,undergoesverylittlechangeundertheinfluenceoflightorheat;butifaveryslightexcessofthenitrateofsilverbeaddeditbecomesinfinitelymoresenitivethanthechlorideThespectrumimpresseduponpaperpreparedwithaweaksolutionofthehydriodateofpotashpresentssomeveryremarkablepeculiarities。

Themaximumofintensityisfoundattheedgeofthemostrefrangiblevioletrays,oralittlebeyondit,varyingslightlyaccordingtothekindofpaperused,andthequantityoffreenitrateofsilverpresent。

Theactioncommencesatapointnearlycoincidentwiththemeanredoftheluminousspectrum,whereitgivesadullashorleadcolor,whilethemostrefrangibleraysimpressaruddysnuff-brown,thechangeoftintcomingonrathersuddenlyabouttheendoftheblueorbeginningofthevioletraysoftheluminousspectrum。

Beyondtheextremevioletrays,theactionrapidlydiminishes,butthedarkeningproducedbytheseinvisiblerays,extendsaverysmallspacebeyondthepointatwhichtheyceasetoactonthechlorideofsilver。

Initsphotographicapplication,itis,alone,ofverylittleuse;

butincombinationwithotherreagentsitbecomesexquisitelysensitive。

Withgallicacidandtheferrocyanateofpotashitformstwoofthemostsensitivephotographicsolutionswithwhichweareacquainted。

Theseareusedinthecalotypeprocess。

IODURETOFSILVER。——Ifuponaplateofpolishedsilverweplaceasmallpieceofiodine,andapplytheheatofalampbeneaththeplateforamoment,asystemofringsisspeedilyformed。

Thefirstring,whichspreadingconstantlyformstheexteriorofthecircle,isofabrightyellowcolor;withinthis,therearises,sucessively,ringsofgreen,redandbluecolors,andthenagainafineyellowcircle,centredbyagreyishspotontheplaceoccupiedbytheiodine。Onexposingthesetothelight,theouteryellowcirclealmostinstantlychangescolor,theothersslowly,intheorderoftheirposition,theinterioryellowcircleresistingforalongtimethesolarinfluence。

Theseringsmustberegardedasfilmsoftheioduretofsilver,varying,notonlyinthickness,butinthemoreorlessperfectstatesofcombinationinwhichtheiodineandmetalare。

Theexteriorcircleisanioduretinaveryloosestateofchemicalagregation;theattractiveforcesincreaseasweproceedtowardsthecentre,whereawellformedioduret,orprobablyatrueiodideofsilver,isformed,whichisacteduponbysunlightwithdifficulty。TheexteriorandmostsensitivefilmconstitutesthesurfaceofDaguerreotypeplates。

Thechangeswhichthesecoloredringsundergoareremarkable;

byafewminutesexposuretosunlight,aninversionofnearlyallthecolorstakesplace,thetwofirstringsbecomingadeepolivegreen;andadeepblueincliningtoblack。