第2章

ThenatureofthechangewhichtheioduretofsilverundergoesonDaguerreotypeplates,throughtheactionoflight,Mr。Huntconsiderstobeadecidedcaseofdecomposition,andcitesseveralcircumstancesinproofofhisposition。

ThesewithotherfactsgivenbyMr。HuntinhisgreatworkonthePhotographicart,buttovolumnioustoincludeinavolumeofthesizetowhichIamobligedtocofinemyself,shouldbethoroughlystudiedbyallDaguerreotypists。

PRISMATICANALYSIS。——Themostrefrangibleportionofthespectrum,(onaDaguerreotypeplate)appears,aftertheplatehasbeenexposedtothevaporofmercury,tohaveimpresseditscolors;

thelightanddelicatefilmofmercury,whichcoversthatportion,assumingafinebluetintaboutthecentralparts,whicharegraduallyshadedoffintoapalegrey;andthisisagainsurroundedbyaverydelicaterosehue,whichislostinabandofpurewhite。

Beyondthisaprotectinginfluenceispowerfullyexerted;

andnotwithstandingtheactionofthedispersedlight,whichisveryevidentovertheplate,alineisleft,perfectlyfreefrommercurialvapor,andwhich,consequently,whenviewedbyasidelight,appearsquitedark。

Thegreenraysarerepresentedbyalineofacorrespondingtint,considerablylessinsizethantheluminousgreenrays。

Theyellowraysappeartobewithoutaction,ortoactnegatively,thespaceuponwhichtheyfallbeingprotectedfromthemercurialvapor;anditconsequentlyisseenasadarkband。

Awhitelineofvapormarkstheplaceoftheorangerays。

Theredrayseffectthesensitivesurfaceinapeculiarmanner;

andwehavethemercurialvapor,assumingamoleculararrangementwhichgivestoitafinerosehue;thistintissurroundedbyalineofwhitevapor,shadedatthelowestextremitywithaverysoftgreen。Overthespaceoccupiedbytheextremeredrays,aprotectinginfluenceisagainexerted;thespaceisretainedfreefrommercurialvaporandthebandisfoundtosurroundthewholeoftheleastrefrangiblerays,andtouniteitselfwiththebandwhichsurroundstheraysofgreatestrefrangibility。

Thisbandisnotequallywelldefinedthroughoutitswholeextent。

Itismostevidentfromtheextremeredtothegreen;

itfadesinpassingthroughtheblue,andincreasesagain,asitleavestheindigo,untilbeyondtheinvisiblechemicalraysitisnearlyasstrongasitisatthecalorificendofthespectrum。

ImagesonDaguerreotypeplateswhichhavebeencompletelyobliteratedbyrubbingmayberestored,byplacingitinatolerablystrongsolutionofiodineinwater。

BROMIDEOFSILVER。——Thissalt,liketheiodide,doesnotappeartobereadilychangedbytheactionoflight;butwhencombinedwiththenitrateofsilveritformsaverysensitivephotographicpreparation。

Paperpreparedwiththissalt,blackensoveritswholeextentwithnearlyequalintensity,whensubmittedtotheprismaticspectrum。Themostcharacteristicpeculiarityofthespectrumisitsextravagantlength。

Insteadofterminatingatthemeanyellowray,thedarkenedportionextendsdowntotheveryextremityofthevisibleredrays。

Intintitisprettyuniformlyofagrey-blackoveritswholeextent,exceptthataslightfringeofrednessisperceptibleattheleastrefractedend。Beyondtheredray,anextendedspaceisprotectedfromtheagencyofthedispersedlight,anditswhitenessmaintained;

thusconfirmingtheevidenceofsomechemicalpowerinaction,overaspacebeyondtheluminousspectrum,whichcorrespondswiththeraysoftheleastrefrangibility。

Thissaltisextensivelyusedinphotographicdrawing。

PREPARATIONSOFGOLD。——ChlorideofGold,freedfromanexcessofacidisslowlychangedundertheactionoflight;

aregularlyincreasingdarknesstakingplaceuntilitbecomespurple,thefirstactionofthelightbeingtowhitenthepaper,which,ifremovedfromthelightatthisstage,willgraduallydarkenandeventuallydevelopethepicture。

Thisprocessmaybequickenedbyplacingthepaperincoldwater。

Chlorideofgoldwithnitrateofsilvergivesaprecipitateofayellowbrowncolor。Paperimpregnatedwiththeacetateoflead,whenwashedwithperfectlyneutralchlorideofgold,acquiresabrownish-yellowhue。

Thefirstimpressionoflightseemsrathertowhitenthandarkenthepaper,bydischargingtheoriginalcolor,andsubstitutingforitapalegreyishtint,whichbyslowdegreesincreasestoadarkslatecolor;

butifarrested,whileyet,notmorethanamoderateashgrey,andheldinacurrentofsteam,thecolorofthepartsacteduponbylight——

andofthatonly——darkensimmediatelytoadeeppurple。

HereImustleavethesubjectoftheactionoflightuponmetaliccompounds——

referringtoMr。Huntsworkforanyfurtherinformationthestudentmaydesireontheothermetals——asIfindmyselfgoingbeyondmylimits。

Icannot,however,entirelydismissthesubjectwithoutgivingafewexamplesoftheactionoflightonthejuicesofplants,someofwhichproduceverygoodphotographiceffect。

CORCHORUSJAPONICA——Thejuiceoftheflowersofthisplantimpartafineyellowcolortopaper,and,sofarasascertained,isthemostsensitiveofanyvegetablepreparation;

butowingtoitscontinuingtochangecoloreveninthedark,photographicimagestakenonpaperpreparedwithitsoonfadeout。

WALLFLOWER。——Thisfloweryieldsajuice,whenexpressedwithalcohol,fromwhichsubsides,onstanding,abrightyellowfinelydividedfaecula,leavingagreenish-yellowtransparentliquid,onlyslightlycoloredsupernatant。

Thefaeculaspreadswellonpaper,andisverysensitivetolight,butappearsatthesametimetoundergoasortofchromaticanalysis,andtocomportitselfasifcomposedoftwoverydistinctcoloringprinciples,verydifferentlyaffected。Theoneonwhichtheintensityandsub-orangetintofthecolordepends,isspeedilydestroyed,butthepaperisnottherebyfullywhitened。

Apaleryellowremainsasaresidualtint,andthisoncontinuedexposuretothelight,slowlydarkenstobrown。

Exposedtothespectrum,thepaperisfirstreducednearlytowhitenessintheregionoftheblueandvioletrays。

Moreslowly,aninsulatedsolarimageiswhitenedinthelessrefrangibleportionofthered。Continuetheexposure,andabrownimpressionbeginstobepercievedinthemidstofthewhitestreak,whichdarkensslowlyovertheregionbetweenthelowerblueandextremevioletrays。

THEREDPOPPYyieldsaverybeautifulredcolor,whichisentirelydestroyedbylight。Whenperfectlydriedonpaperthecolorbecomesblue。

Thisbluecolorisspeedilydischargedbyexposuretothesun’srays,andpaperspreparedwithitaffordveryinterestingphotographs。——

Futureexperimentswillundoubtedlymorefullydevelopethephotogenicpropertiesofflowers,andpracticallyapplythem。

Certainprecautionsarenecessaryinextractingthecoloringmatterofflowers。Thepetalsoffreshflowers,carefullyselected,arecrushedtoapulpinamortar,eitheraloneorwiththeadditionofalittealcohol,andthejuiceexpressedbysqueezingthepulpinacleanlinenorcottoncloth。Itisthentobespreaduponpaperwithaflatbrush,anddriedintheair。

Ifalcoholbenotadded,itmustbeappliedimmediately,astheairchangesordestroysthecolorinstantly。

Mostflowersgiveouttheircoloringmattertoalcoholorwater——

buttheformerisfoundtoweaken,andinsomecasestodischargealtogetherthesecolors;buttheyareinmostcasesrestoredindrying。

Papertingedwithvegetablecolorsmustbekeptperfectlydryandindarkness。

Tosecureanevenessoftintonpaperitshouldbefirstmoistenedonthebackbysponging,andblottingoffwithbibulouspaper。Itshouldthenbepinnedonaboard,themoistsidedownwards,sothattwoofitsedges——

therightandlowerones——projectalittleoverthoseoftheboard。

Inclinetheboardtwentyorthirtydegreestothehorizon,andapplythetincturewithabrushinstrokesfromrighttoleft,takingcarenottogoovertheedgeswhichrestsontheboard,buttopassclearlyoverthosethatproject;andalsoobservingtocarrythetintfrombelowupwardsbyquicksweepingstrokes,leavingnodryspacesbetweenthem。Crossthesewithotherstrokesfromabovedownwards,leavingnofloatingliquidonthepaper。

Dryasquicklyaspossible,avoiding,however,suchheatasmayinjurethetintCHAP。IV。

AFEWHINTSANDSUGGESTIONSTODAGUERREOTYPISTS。

ThereareveryfewwhomaynotbecapableofpractisingthePhotographicart,eitheronpaper,ormetalicplates——but,likeallotherprofessions,somearemorecleverinitsvariousprocessesthanothers。

Impatienceisagreatdrawbacktoperfectsuccess,andcombinedwithlazinessisadecidedenemy。Besidesthis,noonecanexcelinPhotographywhodoesnotpossessanaturaltasteforthefinearts,whoisnotquickindiscerninggraceandbeauty——isregardlessoftheprinciplesofperspective,foreshortingandotherrulesofdrawing,andwhosetsaboutitmerelyforthesakeofgain——withouttheleastambitiontorisetothefirstrank,bothinitspracticeandtheory。

Thereisnoprofessionortradeinwhichaslovenlymannerwillnotshowitself,andnonewhereitseffectswillbemoreapparentthanthis。

Inordertobegreatinanypursuit,wemustbeourselves,andkeepallthings,inorder。Inyourshowandreceptionrooms,letneatnessprevail;haveyourspecimenssoplaced——

leaningslightlyforward——astoobtainthestrongestlightuponthem,andatthesametimepreventthatglassinessofapearancewhichdetractssomateriallyfromtheeffecttheyareintendedtoproduce。Ifpossible,letthelightbeofanorth-westernaspect,mellowedbycurtainsofasemitransparenthue。

Yourshow-cases,atthedoor,shouldbekeptwellcleaned。

Ihaveoftenbeendisgustedwhileattemptingtoexamineportraitsinthecasesofourartists,atthegreasycoatingandmarksofdirtyfingersupontheglassandframeenclosingthem。

Believeit,manyagoodcustomerislostfornootherreason。

Inyouroperatingroom,dustshouldbecarefullyexcluded。

Itshouldbefurnishedwithnothingapttocollectandretaindust;

acarpetisthereforenotonlyauselessarticle,butveryimproper。

Abareflooristobeprefered;butifyoumustcoveritusematting。

Thereisnoplaceaboutyourestablishmentwheregreatercareshouldbetakentohaveorderandcleanliness;foritwillpreventmanyfailuresoftenattributedtoothercauses。

\"Aplaceforeverything,andeverythinginitsplace,\"shouldbeanabsolutemaximwithallartists。Donotobligetheladies,ongoingawayfromyourrooms,tosay——\"ThatH。isaslovenlyman;

seehowmydressisruinedbysittingdowninachairthatlookedasifithadjustcomeoutofaporterhousekitchenandhadnotbeencleanedforsixmonths。\"

Inchoosingyouroperatingroom,obtainonewithanorth-westernaspect,ifpossible;andeitherwith,orcapableofhavingattached,alargeskylight。Goodpicturesmaybetakenwithoutthesky-light,butnotthemostpleasingoreffective。

Averyimportantpointtobeobserved,istokeepthecameraperfectlyfreefromdust。Theoperatorshouldbecarefultoseethattheslightestparticleberemoved,fortheactofinsertingtheplate-holderwillsetitinmotion,ifleft,andcausethoselittleblackspotsontheplate,bywhichanotherwisegoodpictureisspoiled。Thecamerashouldbesoplacedastopreventthesunshiningintothelenses。

Intakingportraits,theconformationofthesittershouldbeminutelystudiedtoenableyoutoplaceherorhiminapositionthemostgracefulandeasytobeobtained。Theeyesshouldbefixedonsomeobjectalittleabovethecamera,andtooneside——butneverinto,orontheinstrument,assomedirect;thelattergenerallygivesafixed,silly,staring,scowlingorpainfulexpressiontotheface。

Careshouldalsobetaken,thatthehandsandfeet,inwhateverposition,arenottooforwardorbackwardfromthefacewhenthatisingoodfocusIfanylargesurfaceofwhiteispresent,suchastheshirtfront,orlady’shandkerchief,apieceofdarkcloth(atemporarybosomofnankeenisbest,)maybeputoverit,butquicklywithdrawnwhentheprocessisabouttwothirdsfinished。

Averypleasingeffectisgiventoportraits,byintroducing,behindthesitter,anengravingorotherpicture——ifapainting,avoidthoseinwhichwarmandglowingtintspredominate。

Thesubjectofthesepicturesmaybeapplicabletothetasteoroccupationofthepersonwhoseportraityouaretaking。

Thisaddsmuchtotheinterestofthepicture,whichisotherwisefrequentlydull,coldandinanimate。

Mr。J。H。WhitehurstofRichmond,Va。,hasintroducedarevolvingbackground,whichissetinmotionduringtheoperation,andproducesadistinctnessandboldnessintheimagenototherwisetobeobtained。

Theeffectuponthebackgroundoftheplateisequallypleasing;

ithavingtheappearanceofabeautifullycloudedsky。

InpractisingPhotographicdrawingonpaper,thestudentmustbearinmindthatitispositivelyessential,tosecuresuccessinthevariousprocesses,tousetheutmostprecautioninspreadingthesolutions,andwashesfromthecombinationofwhichthesensitivesurfacesresult。Thesamebrushshouldalwaysbeusedforthesamesolution,andneverusedforanyother,andalwayswashedincleanwaterafterhavingbeenemployed。

Anymetalicmountingonthebrushesshouldbeavoided,asthemetalprecipitatesthesilverfromitssolution。

Thebrushesshouldbemadeofcamelsorbadger’shairandsufficientlybroadandlargetocoverthepaperintwoorthreesweeps;

forifsmallonesbeemployed,manystrokesmustbegiven,whichleavecorrespondingstreaksthatwillbecomevisiblewhensubmittedtolight,andspoilthepicture。

Thesefewpreliminaryhintsandsuggestions,will,Itrust,beofsomeservicetoallwhoadoptthispleasingartasaprofession;

andwill,withadueattentiontothedirectionsgiveninthepracticalworkingoftheDaguerreotype,Calotype,etc。,ensureacorrespondingmeasureofsuccess。

CHAP。V。

DAGUERREOTYPEAPPARATUS。

TheentireDaguerreotypeprocessiscomprisedinsevendistinctoperations;viz:

1。——Cleaningandpolishingtheplate。

2。——Applyingthesensitivecoating。

3——Submittingtheplatetotheactionoflightinthecamera。

4。——Bringingoutthepicture;inotherwordsrenderingitvisible。

5。——Fixingtheimage,ormakingitperminent——sothatthelightmaynolongeractuponit。

6。——Gilding:orcoveringthepicturewithathinfilmofgold——

whichnotonlyprotectsit,butgreatlyimprovesitsdistinctnessandtoneofcolor。

7。——Coloringthepicture。

Forthesevariousoperationsthefollowingarticles——

whichmakeuptheentireapparatusofaDaguerreanartist——

mustbeprocured1。——THECAMERA。——(Fig。5。)。TheCameraObscuraoftheItalianphilosophers,althoughhighlyappreciated,onaccountofthemagicalcharacterofthepicturesitproduced,remainedlittleotherthanascientifictoy,untilthediscoveryofM。Daguerre。

Thevalueofthisinstrumentisnowgreat,andtheinterestoftheprocesswhichitsoessentiallyaids,universallyadmitted。

Afulldescriptionofitwillthereforebeinteresting。

[hipho_5。gif]

Thecameraisadarkbox(a),havingatubewithlenses(b)placedinoneendofit,throughwhichtheradiationsfromexternalobjectspass,andformadiminishedpictureuponthegroundglass(g)placedattheproperdistanceintheboxtoreceiveit;

thecapccoveringthelensesatbuntiltheplateisreadytoreceivetheimageoftheobjecttobecopied。

Thusa(fig。6。)representingthelens,andbtheobjectdesiredtoberepresented,therays(c,c)proceedingfromitfalluponthelens,andaretransmittedtoapoint,whichvarieswiththecurvatureoftheglass,whereaninvertedimage(d)ofbisveryaccuratelyformed。

Atthispoint,termedthefocus,thesensitivephotographicmaterialisplacedforthepurposeofobtainingtherequiredpicture。

Thegreatdisideratuminaphotographiccameraisperfectlenses。

Theyshouldbeachromatic,andtheutmost[hipho_6。gif]

transparencyshouldbeobtained;andundertheclosestinspectionoftheglassnottheslightestwavyappearance,ordarkspotshouldbedetected;andacurvaturewhichasmuchaspossiblepreventssphericalaberrationshouldbesecured。

Theeffectproducedbythislastdefectisaconvergenceofperpendiculars,asforinstance;twotowersofanybuilding,wouldberepresentedasleaningtowardseachother;andinaportraitthefeatureswouldseemcontracted,distortedandmingledtogether,soastothrowthepictureoutofdrawingandmakeitlookmorelikeacaricaturethanalikeness。

Ifthelensbenotachromatic,achromaticaberrationtakesplace,whichproducesanindistinct,hazyappearancearoundtheedgesofthepicture,arisingfromtheblendingoftherays。

Thediameterandfocallengthofalensmustdependinagreatmeasureonthedistanceoftheobject,andalsoonthesuperficiesoftheplateorpapertobecovered。Forportraitsoneof11/2inchesdiameter,andfrom41/2to51/2inchesfocusmaybeused;butfordistantviews,onefrom2inchesto3inchesdiameter,andfrom8to12inchesfocallengthwillanswermuchbetter。Forsinglelenses,theapertureinfrontshouldbeplacedatadistancefromit,correspondingtothediameter,andofasizenotmorethanonethirdofthesame。

Avarietyofmovablediaphramsorcaps,tocovertheapertureinfront,areveryuseful,astheintensityofthelightmaybemodifiedbythemandmoreorlessdistinctnessandclearnessofdelineationobtained。

ThesecapsalwaycomewithVoitlanderinstrumentsandshouldbesecuredbythepurchaser。

Thoughthesingleacromaticlensanswersverywellforcopyingengravings;

takingviewsfromnatureorart,forportraitsthedoubleshouldalwaysbeused。Theextensivemanufactureofthemostapprovedcameras,bothinEuropeandinthiscountry,obviatesallnecessityforanyoneattemptingtoconstructonefortheirownuse。Lensesarenowmadesoperfectbysomeartisansthat,whatiscalledthe\"quickworkingcamera\"

willtakeapictureinonesecond,whiletheordinarycamerasrequirefromeighttosixty。

ThecamerainmostgeneraluseisthatmanufacturedbyVoitlanderandSonofGermany。Theirsmallsizeconsistsoftwoseperateacromaticlenses;

thefirst,orexternalone,hasafreeapertureof11/2inches;thesecond,orinternal,15/8inches;andbothhavethesamefocus,viz:53/4inches。

Thelargersizediffersfromthesmaller。Theinnerlensisanachromatic31/4inchesdiameter,itsfocallengthbeing30inches。Theouterlensisameniscus——thatisboundedbyaconcaveandconvexsphericalsurfacewhichmeet——havingafocallengthof18inches。Foreverydistantview,theapertureinfrontiscontractedbyadiaphramto1/8ofaninch。

Bythismeansthelightisreflectedwithconsiderableintensityandtheclearnessandcorrectnessofthepicturesaretrulysurprising。

THEAMERICAinstrumentsareconstructedonthesameprincipleandmanyofthemareequallyperfect。Mr。EdwardAnthonyof205Broadway,NewYorkcity,hasconstructed,andsoldcamerasfullyequaltotheGermanandforwhichVoitlanderinstrumentshavebeenrefusedinexchangebythepurchaser。

Theordinarycamerabox(seefig。5,a)variesinsizetosuitthetube,andistermedmedium,half,orwhole。

Withintheboxisaslidetoassistinregulatingthefocus,andinenlargingordiminishingthepicture。Inoneendofthisslideisaspringedgrooveintowhichtheground-glassspectrum(gfig。5)isslid,forthepurposeofmoreconvenientlyarrangingthefocus。Aftertheplateisprepareditisplacedintheholder——

partlyseenate,fig。5,andcoveredwiththedarkslidef,fig。5;

thespectrumisthenwithdrawnandtheholdertakesitsplace,andthelidsd,d,areclosedafterremovingthedarkslidef。

Theplateisnowreadytoreceivetheimage,andthecapcmayberemovedtoadmitthelightintothebox。

AcameraconstructedbyVoitlanderisthusdescribedbyMr。Fisher。

\"Itismadeentirelyofbrass,sothatvariationsofclimatehasnoeffectuponit。Itisveryportableandwhenpackedinitsbox,withallthenecessaryapparatusandmaterialsforpractisingtheDaguerreotypeart,occupiesbutverylittlespace。

Itisnot,however,welladaptedfortheCalotypeprocess。\"

\"ThebrassfootA(fig。7。),isplacedonatable,orotherfirmsupport,andthepillarB。screwedintoit;thebodyofthecamera,C,CislaidintothedoubleforkedbearingD。D。Theinstrumentisnowproperlyadjustedbymeansofthesetscrews,e,e,e,inthebrassfoot,oritmayberaised,lowered,ormoved,bythetelescopestand,andwhencorrect,fixedbythescrewb。Thelandscapetobedelineatedisviewedeitherthroughthe[hipho_7。gif]

smalllens,g,orwiththenakedeyeonthegroundglassplateH,thefocusbeingadjustedbythescrewI。Theopticalpartoftheinstrumentconsistofthesmallsetofachromaticlensesalreadydescribed。

Whentheportraitorviewisdeleniatedonthegroundglasstotheentiresatisfactionoftheoperator,thebrasscapLisplacedoverthelens,andtheentirebodyisremovedawayintothedark,takingcarenottodisturbthepositionofthestand。

ThebodyisnowdetachedatthepartH,andthepreparedpaperorplateenclosedinthebrassframeworkintroducedinitsplace;

thewholeisagainplaceduponthepedestal,thebrasscapLisremoved,bywhichthepaperorplateisexposedtothefullinfluenceofthelight,afterwhichthecapisagainreplaced。

Mr。Woodbridge,ofthiscity,hasconstructedaninstrumentfortakingfulllengthportraitsonplates10by13inches,whichisworthyofsomenotice。

Itisadoublecamera,consistingoftwoboxes,placedinaframe,oneabovetheother,andsoarrangedastoslideeasilyupanddown。

Afterthefocushasbeenadjusted,ontheobject,inbothcameras,theplateisputintotheupperbox,inthemanneralreadydescribed,untilthesuperiorportionofthefigureiscomplete;itisthenplacedinthesecondboxandthelowerextremitiesobtained。

Theadjustmentoftheinstrumentissocompletethat[hipho_8。gif]

aperfectunionofthepartsiseffectedinthepicturewithouttheleastpossiblelineofdemarkationbeingvisible。Fig。8givesafrontviewofthisinstrument。

Fig。9representsTalbot’sCalotypeCamera,——averybeautifulinstrument。

Thecopyingcameraboxhasanextraslideinthebackend,bywhichitmaybeconsiderablylengthenedatpleasure。

II。——CAMERASTAND。——Thebestconstructedstandsaremadeofmapleorblackwallnutwood,havingacastironsocket(a,fig。12,)throughwhichtheslidingrodbpasses,andintowhichthelegsc,c,withironscrewferulesareinserted。

Theplatformdismadeoftwopieces,hingedtogether,asate,andhavingathumbscrewforthepurposeofelevatingordepressingtheinstrument。

[hipho_9。gif]

III。MERCURYBATH。——Fig。13givesafrontviewofthemercurybathnowingeneraluseinthiscountryformercurializingandbringingoutthepicture。Itisquiteanimprovementonthosefirstused。

Tomakeitmoreportableitisinthreepieces,abandc;

havingagrooveeononesidetoreceivethethermometretubeandscalebywhichtheproperdegreeofheatingthemercuryisascertained。

Intothetoparenicelyfittedtwoorthreeironframes,withshoulders,fortheplatetorestin,suitableforthedifferentsizesofplates。

Thebathisheatedbymeansofaspiritlampplacedunderit。

Fromtwotofourouncesofhighlypurifiedmercuryareputintothebathatatime。

IV。PLATEBLOCKSANDVICES。——Thereareseveralkindsofthisarticleinuse;

Ishalldescribethetwobestonly。

Fig。10givesanideaoftheimprovementontheEnglishhandblock。

Thetopaisperfectlyflat[hipho_10。gif]

andsmooth——alittlesmallerthantheplate,soastopermitthelattertoprojectaverylittleallaround——havingatoppositeanglescctwoclasps,onefixedtheothermoveable,butcapableofbeingfastenedbythethumbscrewd,soastosecuretheplatetightlyupontheblock。

Thisblockturnsuponaswivle,b,whichisattachedtothetablebythescrewc,Thisblockisonlyusedforholdingtheplatewhileundergoingthefirstoperationincleaning。

[hipho_11。gif]

Fig。11,showstheformofLewis’newlypatentedplatevice,whichfordurability,simplicityandutilityispreferabletoallothers。

Itconsistsofasimpleplatformandarmofcastiron,theformer,a,havingagroove,d,inthecentreforfixingthedifferentsizesofplatebeds,e——andthelattersupportingtheleaves,ef。

Onthisvicewhichissecuredtoatable,orbench,theplatereceivesitsfinishingpolishwithrouge,orpreparedlampblack。

Mr。Lewisgivesthefollowingdirectionsforitsuse。\"Asthecamwearstightenitwiththeadjustingscrew(g)soastoallowthelever(f)tofallbackintoahorizontalposition;theplatebeinginitsplaceatthetime。Oilthewearingpartsoccasionally。\"

SomeDaguerreotypists,however,useafootlathewithbuffwheelsofvariousforms;butthisviceissufficientforallordinarypurposes。

V。COATINGBOXES。——Theusualformforiodineand[hipho_12。gif]

[hipho_13。gif]

bromineboxesissee,atfigs。14and15。TheyarefarsuperiortothoseinusewiththeEnglishoperators。

Eachconsistsofawoodenbox(a,)havingfirmlyembededwithinitastoutglassjar(c),theedgesofwhichareground。

Overthisisplacedtheslidingcoverb,doublethelengthofthebox,onehalfoccupiedbyapieceofgroundglass(e),tightlypressedupontheglasspotbyaspring(i)beneaththecrossbarg,andfitsthepotsoaccuratelythatiteffectuallypreventstheescapeofthevaporoftheiodine,bromineorotheracceleratingliquidcontainedtherein。

Theotherhalfofthelidiscutthrough,shouldersbeingleftatthefouranglesforthedifferentsizesofframes,designedtorecievetheplatewhileundergoingthecoatingprocess。

Whentheplateisputintotheframe,thecoverbisshovedunderthesecondlidhandwhencoatedtotheproperdegree,itresumesitsformerpositionandtheplateisplacedintheholderofthecamerabox。Totestthetightnessofthebox,lightapieceofpaper,putitintothepotandcoveritwiththeslidinglid。

Theburningpaperexpelstheairfromthepot,andifitbeperfectlytightyoumayraisethewholeboxbythelid。

VI。GLASSFUNNELS。——AreanecessaryarticletotheDaguerreotypist,forfilteringwater,solutions,&c。

[hipho_14。gif]

VII。GILDINGSTAND。——Fornervouspersonsthegildingstandisausefularticle。Itisadjustedtoaperfectlevelbythumbscrewsplacedinitsbase。

VIII。SPIRITLAMPS。——ThemostusefulandeconomicalofthosemadearetheBritania,astheyarelessliabletobreak;

andthetubeforthewickbeingfastenedtothebodybyascrewrendersitlessliabletogetoutoforderorexplode。

Glassisthecheapest,andforanamateurwilldoverywell,butforaprofessedartisttheBritaniashouldalwaysbeobtained。

IX。COLORBOX。——Thesearegenerallyfoundonsaleattheshops,andusuallycontaineightcolors,fourbrushesandagoldcup。

Theartistwould,however,dowelltoobtain,allthecolorsmentionedinthelastchapterofthiswork,andbesuretogettheverybest,astherearevariousqualitiesofthesamecolor,particularlycarmine,whichisveryexpensive,andthecupidityofsomemayinducethemtosellapoorarticleforthesakeoflargerprofits。

[hipho_15。gif]

STILL。——Daguerreotypistsshouldalwaysusedistilledwaterforsolutions,andwashingtheplate,ascommonwaterholdsvarioussubstancesinsolutionwhichdetractverymateriallyfromtheexcellenceofaphotograph,andoftengivesmuchtrouble,quiteunaccountabletomany。

ForthepurposeofdistillingwatertheapparatusrepresentedatFig。16

isbothconvenientandeconomical。

Itmaybeeitherwhollyofgoodstouttin,orofsheetirontinnedontheinside,andmaybeusedoveracommonfire,oronastove。

Aisthebody,whichmaybemadetoholdfromonetofourgallonsofwater,whichisintroducedattheopeningb,whichisthenstoppedbyacork。

Thetubedconnectstheneckaofthestillwiththewormtub,orrefrigeratorB,ate,whichiskeptfilledwithcoldwaterbymeansofthefunnelc,anddrawnoffasfastasitbecomeswarmbythecockf。

Thedistilledwateriscondensedintheworm——andpassesoffatthecockb,underwhichabottle,orothervessel,shouldbeplacedtoreceiveit。

Thedifferentjointsarerenderedtightbylute,orinitsabsence,somestiffpastespreaduponapieceoflinenandwrappedaroundthemwillanswerverywell;anadditionofsealingwaxoverallwillmakethemdoublysecure。

[hipho_16。gif]

HYGROMETER。——Thisisaninstrumentnevertobefound,Ibelieve,intheroomsofouroperators,althoughitwouldbeofmuchusetothem,forascertainingthequantityofmoisturefloatingabouttheroom;

andasitisnecessarytohavetheatmosphereasdryaspossibletopreventanundueabsorptionofthiswateryvaporbytheiodine&c。,andtoprocuregoodpictures,——itsdetectionbecomesamatterofimportance。

Mason’shygrometer,manufacturedbyMr。RoachandsoldbyMr。Anthony,205Broadway,NewYorkisthebestinuse。

Itconsistsoftwothermometretubesplaced,sidebyside,onametalicscale,whichisgraduatedequallytobothtubes。

Thebulbofoneofthesetubescommunicates,bymeansofanet-workofcotton,withaglassreservoirofwaterattachedtothebackofthescale。Fig。17and18representafrontandbackviewofthisinstrument。

Fig。17isthefrontview,showingthetubeswiththeirrespectivescales;

thebulbbbeingcoveredwiththenetworkofcottoncommunicatingwiththereservoircfig。18,atd。

[hipho_17。gif]

[hipho_18。gif]

Theevaporationofthewaterfromthisbulbdecreasesthetemperatureofthemercuryinthetubebinproportiontothedrynessoftheatmosphere,andthenumberofdegreesthetubebindicatesbelowthatoftheother,showstherealstateoftheatmosphereintheroom;forinstance,ifbstandsatfortyandaatsixty-onetheroomisinastateofextremedryness,thedifferenceoftwenty-onedegreesbetweenthethermometers——letastandatanyonepoint——givesthisresult。

Iftheydonotdiffer,orthereisonlyfourorfivedegreesvariation,theatmosphereoftheroomisverymoistandmeansshouldbetakentoexpelthesuperfluousquantity。

HEADRESTS。——Thebuttonheadrestwithchairbackclip,Afig。

19——ismuchthebestfortravellingartists,asitcanbetakenapart,intoseveralpiecesandcloselypacked;iseasilyandfirmlyfixedtothebackofachairbytheclampandscrewaandb,andisreadilyadjustedtothehead,asthebuttonsc,candarmsd,daremovable。

Sometimesthebuttonrestisfixedtoapole,whichisscrewedtothechair;

butthismethodisnotsosecureandsolidastheclipandoccupiesmoreroominpacking。Boththepoleandclip,arefurnishedinsomecaseswithbrassbandrestsinsteadofthebutton;buttheonlyrecommendationthesecanpossiblypossessintheeyesofanyartist,istheircheapness。

[hipho_19。gif]

ForaDaguerreotypistpermanentlylocatedtheindependentironhead-rest,Bfig。19,isthemostpreferable,principallyonaccountofitssolidity。

Itisentirelyofiron,issupportedbyatripoda)ofthesamemetalandcanbeelevatedbymeansofarod(b)passingthroughthebodyofthetripod,toaheightsufficientforaperson,standing,torestagainst。

GALVANICBATTERY。——Thisarticleisusedforthepurposeofgivingtoimperfectlycoatedplatesathickercoveringofsilver。

Theformofbatterynowmostuniversallyemployedforelectrotype,andothergalvanicpurposes,isSmee’s——Fig。20。Itconsists[hipho_20。gif]

ofapieceofplatinizedsilver,A,onthetopofwhichisfixedabeamofwood,B,topreventcontactwiththesilver。

AbindingscrewCissolderedontothesilverplatetoconnectitwithanydesiredobject,bymeansofthecopperwire,e。

Aplateofamalgamatedzinc,D,varyingwiththefancyoftheoperatorfromonehalftotheentirewidthofthesilverisplacedoneachsideofthewood。Thisissetintoaglassvessel,P,——theextremeendsofthewoodrestinguponitsedge——onwhichtheacidwithwhichitischargedhasnoeffect。Thejarischargedwithsulphuridacid,(commonoilofvitriol)dilutedineightpartsitsbulkofwater。

Thezincplatesofthebatteryhavebeenamalgamatedwithquicksilver,andwhenthebatteryissetintothejarofacidthereshouldbenoactionpercieveduponthemwhenthepolesF,G,arenotincontact。

Shouldanyactionbepercieved,itindicatesimperfectamalgamation;

thiscanbeeasilyremediedbypouringalittlemercuryuponthemimmediatelyafterremovingthemfromtheacid,takingcaretogetnoneuponthecentreplateA。

Directionsforuse。——AsheetofsilvermustbeattachedtothewireconnectedwiththecentreplateAofthebattery,andplacedinthesilversolution——preparedasdirectedbelow。

Theplatetobesilveredisfirstcleanedwithdilutedsulphuricacid,andthenattachedtothewire,G,proceedingfromthezincplatesD,D,andplacedinthesilversolution,oppositethesilverplateattachedtothepoleF,andabouthalfaninchfromit。

Aslighteffervescencewillnowbepercievedfromthebattery,andthesilverwillbedepositedupontheDaguerreotypeplate,whileatthesametimeaportionofthesilverplateisdissolved。

Topreparethesolutionofsilver。——Dissolveoneounceofchlorideofsilverinasolutionoftwoouncesofcyanideofpotassium,previouslydissolvedinonequartofwater。

Theoxideofsilvermaybeusedinsteadofthechloride。

Thissolutionisputintoatumbler,orothervessel。

[hipho_21。gif]

[hipho_22。gif]

ThisbatterywiththenecessaryarticlesforusingitmaybeobtainedofE。Anthony,205Broadway,NewYorkcity。

Theotherarticlesrequiredbyeveryoperatormaybesimplyenumerated,viz:

Stickng,orsealingpaper。

Apairofpliers,orforceps。

Porcelainpansordishes,forapplyingthehyposulphiteofsodaandwashingaftertheimagineisfixed,somethinginformlikefig。23。

Asupportforholdingtheplatewhilebeingwashed,likefig。24

[hipho_25。gif]

BUFFSTICKS。——Fig。25。——Theseareusuallyfromonetothreefeetinlength,andaboutthreeincheswide——somethinktwoandahalfsufficient。

Theunderside,whichisconvex,iscoveredwithastripoffinelypreparedbuckskin,orvelvet,wellpaddedwithcottonortow。

Allthearticlesenumeratedinthischaptermaybeobtained,oftheverybestqualityandatthemostreasonablerates,ofMr。E。Anthony,205,Broadway,NewYork。

CHAP。VI。

THEDAGUERREOTYPEPROCESS。

TheprocessoftakingDaguerreotypepicturesdiffersverymateriallyfromallothersofthephotographicart,inasmuchastheproductionoftheimageiseffecteduponplatesofcoppercoatedwithsilver。

Thesilveremployedshouldbeaspureaspossible;thethicknessoftheplateisoflittleconsequence,providedtherebesufficientsilvertobearthecleaningandpolishing——isfreefromcopperspots,issusceptibleofahighpolish,anexquisitelysensitivecoatingandapleasingtone。

ThesequalitiesarepossessedtoaneminentdegreebytheFrenchplates。

Havingalreadyenumeratedthevariousprocesses——andtheapparatusnecessaryforthemanipulation,Iwillheregivealistofthechemicalstobeused,andthenproceedtoexplainthemmorefully。

Therequisitechemicalsare——

NITRICACID,ROUGE,DRYIODINE,MERCURY,DRYINGPOWDER,HYPOSULPHITEOFSODA,CYANIDEOFPOTASSIUM,CHLORIDEOFGOLD;OR

ROTTENSTONE,HYPOSULPHITEOFGOLD。

TRIPOLI,CHLORIDEOFSILVER。

CHLORIDEOFIODINE,}theircompounds,orotherBROMINE}acceleratingmixtures。

FIRSTOPERATION。——Cleaningandpolishingtheplate。——

Forthispurposetheoperatorwillrequirethe——

PlateBlocks,PlateViceSpiritLamp,PolishingBuffs,NitricAcid,dilutedinfifteentimesitsbulkofwaterGalvanicBattery,togalvanizetheplate,ifitistooimperfecttobeusedwithout,previouscleaningit,asdirectedinthelastchapter。

Rottenstone,Tripoli,whichistoooftendispensedwith。

Rouge,orlampblack——thefirstbeingmostpreferable。

TheEnglishoperatorsmixthetwotogether。

PreparedcottonWool,orCantonflannel。Ifthefirstisused,itshouldbeexcludedfromthedust,asitisnotsoeasilycleansedasthelatter。

Theplateissecured,withitssilversideupward,totheblock,bythemeansdescribedonpage58——havingpreviouslyturnedtheedgesbackwardallaround。Theamountofcleaningaplaterequires,dependsuponthestateitisin。Wewillsupposeoneintheworstcondition;dirty,scratched,andfullofmercuryspots,allofwhichimperfectionsaremoreorlesstobeencountered。

Themercuryspotsaretoberemovedbyburningtheplate。

Todothisholdtheplateovertheflameofaspiritlamp,moreparticularlyunderthemercuryspots,untilthey,assumeadullappearance,whenthelampistoberemoved,andtheplateallowedtocool,afterwhichitisattachedtotheblock。

Placetheblockupontheswivle,andholditfirmlywiththelefthand;

takeasmallknotorpelletofcotton,or,ifyoulikeitbetter,asmallpieceofcantonflannel——wetitwithalittledilutednitricacid;

thensiftsomefinelypreparedrottenstone——Davie’s,*ifyoucangetit——

uponit,andrubitovertheplatewithacontinualcircularmotion,tillalltracesofthedirtandscratchesareremoved;thenwipeofftherottenstonewithacleanpieceofcotton,adopting,asbefore,aslightcircularmotion,atthesametimewipingtheedgesoftheplate。

Eventhebackshouldnotbeneglected,butthroughlycleansedfromanydirtorgreasyfilmitmayhavereceivedfromhandling。

*SoldbyE。Anthony。

Whenthisisthoroughlyaccomplished,mixaportionofyourtripoliwiththedilutenitricacid,totheconsistenceofthickcream。

Thentakeapelletofcottonandwellpolishtheplatewiththismixture,inthesamemanneraswiththerottenstone。Continuetheprocesstill,onremovingthetripoliwithacleanpellet,theplateexhibitsaclear,smooth,brightsurface,freefromallspots,orscratches。

AnyremainsoftheacidontheplatemaybeentirelyremovedBysiftingonitalittleDryingpowder,andthenwipingitcarefullyoffwithafinecamelshairbrush,orduster。Thefinishingpolishisnowtobegiven。

Forthispurposetherouge——oramixtureofrougeandlamp-black,intheproportionofonepartoftheformertosevenofthelatter——isused。

Itshouldbekepteitherinamuslinbag,orwidemouthbottle,overwhichapieceofmuslinistied——infact,boththerottenstoneandtripolishouldbepreservedfromthedustinthesamemanner。

Withalittleofthispowderspreadoverthebuff——describedonpage53——

theplaterecievesitsfinalpolish;thecircularmotionischangedforastraightoneacrosstheplate,which,ifintendedforaportrait,shouldbebuffedthenarrowway;butif,foralandscapeorviewofahouse,thelengthwayoftheplate。

Theoperationofcleaningtheplateatfirstappearsdifficultandtedious,andmanyhavebeendeterredfromattemptingthisinterestingartonthataccount;but,inreality,itismoresimpleinpracticethanindescription,andwithalittlepatienceandobservation,alldifficultiesareeasilyovercome。

Greatcaremustbetakentokeepthebufffreefromallextraneousmatter,andperfectlydry,andwhennotinuseitshouldbewrappedupintissuepaper,orplacedinatightbox。

Theplateshouldbebuffedimmediatelybeforethesensitivecoatingisgiven;particlesofdustarethuseffectuallyremoved;

thetemperatureoftheplateisalsoincreasedbythefriction,andtherequiredtintmorereadilyobtained。

SECONDOPERATION。——Applyingthesensativecoating。——Theapparatusandchemicalsrequired,areanIodinebox——seefig。14page53。

Brominebox——similartotheiodineboxbutatrifledeeper。

DryIodine。

Bromine,oracompoundofBromineandChlorideofIodine,orothersensitivemixture。

MostofourbestoperatorsusethecompoundBromineandChlorideofIodine。IntheearlydaysoftheDaguerreotype,Iodinealonewasusedinpreparingtheplate,andalthoughitstillplaysaveryimportantpart,otherpreparations,calledacceleratingliquids,quickstuff,&c。,areused,andthediscoveryofwhichhasaloneensuredtheapplicationoftheDaguerreotypesuccessfullytoportraittaking——forwhenfirstintroducedamongusittookfromfivetotenminutestoproduceatolerablegoodview,whilenowbutthefractionofaminuteisrequiredtoobtainanaccuratelikeness。

Toiodizetheplateperfectlyitmustbeplacedovertheiodinevaporimmediatelyafterbuffing。Scatterfromasixteenthtotheeighthofanounceofdryiodineoverthebottomofyourcoatingbox,andslightlycoveritwithcottonwool。Theplateisthendroppedintotheframeb,fig。12,withitssilveredsurfacedownward,andthrustunderthelidh。Thebrightsurfaceoftheplateissooncoatedwithafilmofiodineofafineyellowcolor;

itisthenremovedandplacedovertheacceleratingsolution。

Itisnotabsolutelynecessarytoperformthisoperationinthedark,althoughabrightlightshouldbeavoided。

Notsothenextpartoftheprocess,viz;givingtheplateitsextremesensitiveness,orcoatingwiththeacceleratingliquids。

Inthisgreatcautionshouldbeusedtopreventtheslightestrayoflightimpringingdirectlyontheplate,andinexaminingthecolorreflectedlightshouldalwaysbeused。

Aconvientmethodofexaminingtheplate,istomakeasmallholeinthepartitionoftheclosetinwhichyoucoat,andcoveritwithapieceoftissuepaper;byquicklyturningtheplatesothatthepaperisreflecteduponitthecolorisverydistinctlyshown。

Mostofouroperatorsarenotsoparticularinthisrespectastheyshouldbe。

ACCELERATINGLIQUID。——Ofthesethereareseveralkinds,whichdifferbothincompositionandaction——someactingveryquickly,othersgivingafinertonetothepicturealthoughtheyarenotsoexpeditiousinthereoperations;orinotherwords,notsosensitvetotheactionoflight。TheseareadoptedbyDaguerreotypistsaccordingtotheirtastesandpredjudices。

Theyareallappliedinthesamewayasthecoatingofiodine。

Thefollowingarethebest。

Brominewater——ThissolutionismuchusedinFrance,and,Ishallthereforegiveitspreparation,andthemethodofusingit,inthewordsofM。Figeau。\"Putintoabottleofpurewater,alargeexcessofbromine;shakethemixturewell,andbeforeusingit,letallthebrominebetakenup。Anascertainedquantityofthissaturatedwateristhendilutedinagivenquantityofdistilledwater,whichgivesasolutionofbrominethatisalwaysidentical。\"

M。Figeaurecommendsonepartofthesaturatedsolutiontothirtypartsitsbulkofwater;butM。Lesebourfindsitmoremanageableifdilutedwithfortytimes。Incasepuredistilled,orrainwatercannotbeprocured,afewdropsofnitricacid——saysixtothequart——

shouldbeaddedtothecommonwater。

Putintothebromineboxagivenquantityofthissolution,sufficienttowellcoverthebottom;theplate,havingbeeniodizedtoadeepyellow,isplacedoverit;thetimetheplateshouldbeexposedmustbeascertainedbymakingafewtrials;itaveragesfromtwelvetofortyseconds。

Whenonceascertained,itisthesameforanynumberofplates,asthesolution,whichofcoursewouldbecomeweakerandweaker,ischangedaftereveryoperation,thesamequantitybeingalwaysputintothepot。

ChlorideofIodine。——Thisispreparedbyintroducingchlorinegassintoaglassvesselcontainingiodine;theiodineisliquified,andtheabovenamedcompoundistheresult。

Operatorsneednot,however,beatthetroubleandexpenseofpreparingit,asitcanbeobtainedprefectlypureofMr。Anthony,205Broadway,N。Y。,asalsoallofthechemicalshereinenumerated。

Thecompoundisdilutedwithdistilledwater,andtheplatesubmittedtoitsactiontillitisofarosecolor。Chlorideofiodinealone,isseldomifeverusednowbyAmericanoperators,asitdoesnotsufficientlycomeuptotheirlocomotiveprincipleofprogression。

Thenextisalsoeschewedbythemajority,althoughmanyofourbestartistsusenoother,onaccountoftheveryfinetoneitgivestopictures。

BromideofIodine。——Thisisacompoundofbromineandchlorideofiodine。Inmixingit,muchdependsuponthestrengthoftheingredients;anequalportionofeachbeinggenerallyused。

Perhapsthebestmethodofpreparingit,istomakeasolutioninalcoholofhalfanounceofchlorideofiodine,andaddthebrominedropbydrop,untilthemixturebecomesofadarkredcolor;

thendilutewithdistilledwater,tillitassumesabrightyellow。

Putabouthalfanounceofthiscompoundintothepot,andcoatoverittoavioletcolor,changethesolutionwhenitbecomestooweaktoproducethedesiredeffect。

Another。——Mixhalfanounceofbrominewithoneounceofchlorideofiodine,addtwoquartspuredistilledwater,shakeitwellandletitstandfortwelvehoursthenaddtwenty-fivedropsofmuriaticacid,andletitstandanothertwelvehours,occasionallyshakingitupwell。

Dilutesixpartsofthissolutioninsixteenofwater。Coatoverdryiodinetoadeepyellow,thenoverthesensitivetoadeeprosecolor——

approachingpurple——thenback,overdryiodinefromfourtoeightseconds。

Roach’sTrippleCompound。——Thisisoneoftheverybestsensitivesolutions,andisverypopularamongDaguerreotypists。

Tousethis,takeonepartinweight,sayonedrachm,ofthecompoundanddiluteitwithtwelveofwater;coatoverdryiodinetoyellow,thenoverthecompoundtoarosyred。

Theeffectinthecameraisquick,andproducesapictureofafinewhitetone。

Gurney’sSensitive。——Thisisanotherpreparationofbromine,andgivesafinetone。Totwopartsofwateraddoneofthesensitive,andputjustsufficientintheboxtocoverthebottom,orenableyoutocoatinfromeighttotenseconds。

Coatoverdryiodinetoadarkyellow,andoverthequicktillyouseeagoodchange,thenbackoverthedryiodinefromtwotothreeseconds。

BromideofLime,orDrySensitive。——Thisisacompoundbutrecentlyintroduced,andisbecomingsomewhatofitfavorite,owingprincipallytotheslighttroubleitgivesinitspreparation,andthetoneitimpartstothepicture。Toprepareit,fillyourjarabouthalforquarterfullofdryslackedlime,thendropintoitbromine,tillitbecomesabrightorangered。

Theplateisgenerallycoatedoverthiscompound,aftertheiodinecoatingtoyellow,toaviolet,orplumcolor;

butitwillworkwellunderanycircumstances,thecolorbeingoflittleconsequence,ifcoatedfromthirtytoninetyseconds,accordingtoitsstrength。

Mead’sAccelerator。——Imerelymentionthisasbeinginthemarket,notknowinganythinginregardtoitsmerits。

Thedirectionsgivenforitsuseareasfollows:

Mixone-thirdofabottlewithawineglassfullofwater,coattheplateoverdryiodinetoadarkgoldcolor,thenovertheacceleratortoaviolet,thenbackoverdryiodine,orchlorideofiodine,fromthreetofiveseconds。

ChlorideofBromine。——M。Bissou,aFrenchexperimentalist,hasfoundthatbromineassociatedwithchlorine,preparedinasimilarmannertochlorideofiodine,alreadydescribed,asolutionofbrominebeingsubstitutedfortheiodine,isaverysensitivesolution;bymeansofitdaguerreotypeproofsareobtainedinhalfasecond,and,thusveryfugitivesubjectsarerepresented,makingittheverybestcompoundfortakingchildren。

Soquickisitsoperation,thatevenpersonsoranimalsmaybetakenintheactofwalking。

HungarianLiquid。——This,Ibelieve,hasneverbeenusedhere,orimportedintothiscountry,andthecompositionofitisnotgenerallyknown,eveninEurope,whereithastakenprecedenceofallothers。

Itactsquicklyandwithconsiderablecertainty。Itisusedbydilutingitwithfromtentofifteentimesitsbulkofwater,puttingasufficientquantityintothejartocoverthebottom。

Theplatebeingpreviouslyiodizedtoalightyellow,issubmittedtothismixturetillitassumesalightrosetint。

BromineandFluoricAcid,incombination,areusedbysomeDaguerreanartistsasasensitive,butanyoftheabovecompoundsarebetter;

besidesthis,thefluoricacidisadangerouspoison,andthequickmadefromitwillnotrepaytherisktothehealthinusingit。

AsIhavebeforesaid,greatcautionshouldbeobservedinexaminingthecoloroftheplate,evenbythefeeblelightallowed,which,whenattained,mustbeimmediatelyplacedintheholderbelongingtothecameraandcoveredwiththedarkslide。

YouthenpasstotheTHIRDOPERATION。——SubmittingthePlatetotheactionofLightintheCamera。——Experiencealonemustguidetheoperatorastothetimetheplateshouldbeexposedtotheinfluenceofthelight;thisbeingdependentonavarietyofcircumstances,asclearnessoftheatmosphere——

andhere,areferencetothehygrometerwillbeofadvantage——

timeofday,objecttobetaken,andthedegreeofsensitivenessimpartedtotheplatebythequickstuff。AsIhavebeforesaid,theartistshouldbecarefultoseethattheinteriorofthecameraiscleanandfreefromdust,asthesmallparticlesflyingabout,orsetinmotionbytheslidingoftheholderintothebox,attachthemselvestotheplate,andcausethelittleblackspots,bywhichanotherwisegoodpictureisfrequentlyspoiled。

Careshouldalsobetakeninwithdrawingthedarkslide,infrontoftheplate,fromtheholder,asthesameeffectmaybeproducedbyatoohastymovement。Thelensisthelastthingtobeuncovered,bywithdrawingthecapc。fig。5。,whichshouldnotbedoneuntilyouhaveplacedthesitterinthemostdesirableposition。

When,accordingtothejudgmentandexperienceoftheoperator,theplatehasremainedlongenoughtoreceiveagoodinpression,thecapisreplacedoverthelens,andthedarkslideovertheplate,whichisthenremovedfromthecamera。

Daguerreotypistsgenerallymarktimebytheirwatches,arrivingatthenearestpossibleperiodforproducingagoodpicturebymakingseveraltrials。

Asareadymethodofmarkingshortintervalsoftimeis,however,averyimportantconsideration,andasanyinstrumentwhichwillenableanartisttoarriveattheexactperiod,mustbeanimprovement,andworthyofuniversaladoption,IwillheredescribeoneinventedbyMr。ConstableofEngland,whichhecallsaSandClock,orTimeKeeper。——\"Itconsistsofaglasstube,abouttwelveincheslong,byoneindiameter,halffilledwithfinesand,similartothatusedfortheordinaryminuteglasses,and,likethem,ithasadiaphram,withasmallholeinthecentrethroughwhichthesandruns。

Thetubeisattachedtoaboardwhichrevolvesonacentrepin;

onthesideisagraduatedscale,dividedintohalfseconds;

thetubeisalsoprovidedwithamoveableindex。

Thisinstrumentisattached,inaconspicuousplace,tothewall。