第3章

Theglasstubebeingrevolvedonitscentre,theindexissettothenumberofhalfsecondsrequired,andthesandrunningdown,therequiredtimeismarkedwithoutthepossibilityoferror。

Inpracticeitwillbefoundtobeafarmoreconvenientinstrumentforthepurposethaneitheraclockorasecondswatch,andisapplicablebothforthecameraandmercurybox。\"

Iftheartistfindsitdesirableornecessarytotaketheobjecttobecopiedinitsrightposition,thatisreversetheimageonthespectrum,hecandosobyattachingamirror(whichmaybehadofMr。Anthony,orMr。Roach)tothecameratube,atanangleofforty-fivedegrees。

If,aftertakingtheplatefromthecamera,itbeexamined,nopicturewillyetbevisible,butthisisbroughtaboutbytheFOURTHPROCESS。——BringingoutthePicture,orrenderingitVisible。——

Wenowcometotheuseofthemercurybath,Fig。11。Tothebathathermometerisattached,toindicatetheproperdegreeofbeatrequired,whichshouldneverberaisedabove170deg。Fahrenheit。Theplatemaybeputintooneoftheframes(seeFig。11,)overthemercury,facedownwards,andexaminedfromtimetotime,bysimplyraisingitwiththefingers,orapairofplyers。Thisoperation,aswellastheothers,shouldtakeplaceinthedarkcloset。

[hipho_26。gif]

Sometimes,topreventthenecessityofraisingtheplate,anadditionalcoverortopismadeuseof。Itconsistsofaboxfittedcloselytotheinnerrimofthebath,andhavinganinclinedtop(a,Fig。27。)Thetopiscutthroughandfittedwithframesforeachsizeofplate,likethosealreadydescribed,andinthebackisapieceofglass(b,)throughwhichtoviewtheprogressofmercurialization,andanadditionalpiece(c,)ononeside,coloredyellow,toadmitthelight。

Theoutlineonlyofthetopisheregiven,inordertoshoweveryportionofitatoneview。

Thepicture,beingfullydeveloped,isnowtakenoutandexamined;

itmustnot,however,beexposedtotoostrongalight。

Ifanyglaringdefectsbeperceived,itisbetternottoproceedwithit,butplaceitononesidetobere-polished;if,onthecontrary,itappearsperfect,youmayadvancetotheFIFTHOPERATION。——FixingtheImagesothatthelightcannolongeractuponit。——Thefollowingarticlesarerequiredforthispurpose:

Twoorthreeporcelainorglassdishes,inform,somethinglikefig。24。

Aplatesupport,fig。25。Few,Ibelieve,nowmakeuseofthis,althoughitisaveryconvenientarticle。

HyposulphiteofSoda,ApairofPlyers。

InEurope,theyalsouseadryingapparatus,Fig。27,butthis,liketheplatesupport,[hipho_27。gif]

isamatteroflittleconsequence,andmaybedispensedwith。

Iwill,however,describeit,forthebenefitofthosewhomaywishtouseit。

Avesselmadeofcopperorbrass,tinnedinside,andlargeenoughtotakeinthelargestplate,butnotmorethanhalfaninchwide,isthemostconvenient。Itmustbekeptperfectlyclean。

Hotdistilledwaterispouredintoit,andthetemperaturekeptupbyaspiritlamp。

HyposulphiteofSoda。——Havingmadeasolutionofhyposulphiteofsoda,andwellfilteredit——thestrengthisimmaterial;

abouthalfanounceofthesalttoapintofdistilledwaterissufficient——pouritintooneoftheporcelaindishes,putintoanotherplain,andintoathirddistilledwater。

Immersetheplatewithitsfacedownwardsintothehyposulphite,andthewholeofthesensitiveisremoved,andthelighthasnofartheractionuponit;itisthentoberemovedfromthehyposulphiteandplungedintotheplainwater,orplaceduponthesupport,fig。25,andthewaterpouredoverit。

Itisthenwashedinasimilarmannerwiththedistilledwaterandwellexamined,toseethatnottheslightestparticleofdustrestsonthesuface。Thenextstepistodryit。

Thismaybereadilyaccomplishedbyholdingtheplatewithyourplyers,andpouringdistilledwateroverit——ifitishot,somuchthebetter。

Applythespiritlamptotheback,atthecornerheldbytheplyers,atthesametimefacilitatingtheoperationwiththebreath;

passthelampgraduallydownwards,finishingattheextremecorner。

Thelastdropmaynowberemovedbyalittlebibulouspaper。

Asingledrop,even,ofdistilledwaterallowedtodryonanypartofthesurface,iscertaintoleaveastainwhichnoafterprocesscanremove。

Toillustratethenecessityforhavingperfectlycleanwater,andfreefromallforeignmatter——onlytobeavoidedbyusingthatwhichisdistilled——

intheseprocesses,Iwillrelatealittleanecdote。

Anoperatorinthiscity(NewYork)frequentlymadecomplainttome,thathisplateswereoccasionallyverybad;comingoutalloverinlittleblackandwhitespotsandspoilingmanyverygoodpictures,regrettingatthesametimethatperfectplateswerenotmade,forhehadlostmanycustomersinconsequenceofthesedefects。

Thesecomplaintsbeingsomewhatperiodical,Isuggestedthatthefaultmightbeinthehyposulphite,orchlorideofgoldsolutions,orparticlesofdustfloatingaboutintheroom,andnotintheplate。

Afewdaysafterhestated,thathisplateshavingservedhimagaininthesameway,heprocuredafreshsupplyofhyposulphiteofsodaandchlorideofgold,butafterapplyingthemtheresultwasnobetter。

Hethen,bymyadvice,thoroughlycleanedhiswashdishes,bottlesandwaterpail,madefreshsolutionsandhadnofurthertrouble,becomingsatisfiedthattheplatessufferedanundueshareofcensure。

SIXTHPROCESS。——GildingthePicture。——ThisisanimprovementthehonorofwhichisduetoM。Figeau,andmaytakeplaceeitherbeforethedryingprocess,oratanysubsequentperiod;butitimprovesthepicturesomateriallythatitshouldneverbeneglected。

Thearticlesnecessaryforgildingare——

APairofPlyars;oraGildingStand(seefig。19)andChlorideofGold;

orHyposulphiteofGold。

ThelatterisimportedbyMr。E。Anthony,205Broadway,NewYork,andisdecidedlythebestarticleforthepurpose。

Onebottlesimplydissolvedinaquartofwaterwillmakeaverystrongsolution,andgivesarichnesstothepictureimpossibletobeobtainedfromthechlorideofgold。

Theprocessispreciselysimilartothatdescribedbelowforchlorideofgold,takingcaretoceasethemomentthebubblesarewelldefinedoverthesurfaceoftheplate。

ManyDaguerreotypists,afterasuperficialtrial,discardthehyposulphiteofgoldasinferior;butIhavenohesitationinassertingthatthefaultlieswiththemselves;forineverycasewithinmyknowledge,whereitsusehasbeenpersistedinuntilthecorrectmethodhasbeenascertainedandthenatureofthegildinghasbecomefamiliar,itisalwayspreferred。

InillustrationofthisfactIwillrelateananecdote:

Agentlemantowhomithadbeenrecommended,purchasedabottle,andaftermakingoneortwotrialsofit,wrotetohiscorrespondent——\"Sendmetwobottlesofchlorideofgold,forIwantnomoreofthehyposulphite;itisgoodfornothing。\"

Afewweeksafterhesentforthreebottlesofthecondemnedarticle,confessingthatbehadfoundfaultunnecessarily;for,thatsincehehadbecomefamiliartoitsuse,hemustacknowledgeitssuperiority,andwouldusenoothergilding。

TheSolutionofChlorideofGoldispreparedbydissolvinginapintofdistilledwater,fifteengrainsofchrystalizedchlorideofgold。

Thissolutionwillbeofayellowtint。Inanotherpintofdistilledwaterdissolvefifty-fivegrainsofhyposulphiteofsoda;pourgradually,inverysmallquantities,thegoldintothehyposulphiteofsoda,stirringthesolutionatintervals;whenfinishedthemixtureshouldbenearlycolorless。

Placetheplateonitsstand,orholditintheplyers,inaperfectlyhorrizontalposition——silversurfaceupward——havingpreviouslyslightlyturneduptheedges,sothatitmayholdthesolution。

Wetthesurfacewithalcohol,lettinganysuperfluousquantitydrainoff。

Thealcoholisofnofartherusethantofacilitatetheflowingofthegoldmixtureoverthesurface。Nowpouron,carefully,asmuchofthepreparationofgoldaswillremainontheplate。

Theunderpartoftheplateisthentobeheatedasuniformlyaspossiblewiththespiritlamp;smallbubbleswillarrise,andtheappearanceoftheportraitorviewverysensiblyimproved。

Theprocessmustnotbecarriedtoofar,butassoonasthebubblesdisappearthelampshouldberemoved,andtheplateimmersedindistilledwater,anddriedasbeforedirected。

7th。COLORINGTHEPICTURE。——Iverymuchdoubttheproprietyofcoloringthedaguerreotypes,asIamofopinion,thattheyarelittle,ifany,improvedbytheoperation,atleastasitisnowgenerallypractised。

Thereareseveralthingsrequisiteinanartisttoenablehimtocolorahead,orevenalandscapeeffectively,andcorrectly,andImustsaythatveryfewofthesearepossessedbyouroperatorsasaclass。

Theserequirementsare,atalentfordrawing——taste——duediscriminationofeffect——strictobservanceofthecharacteristicpointsinthefeaturesofthesubject——quickperceptionofthebeautiful,andaknowledgeoftheartofmixingcolors,andblendingtints。

Themethodnowpursued,Idonothesitatetosay,andhavenofearsofbeingcontradictedbythosecapableofcritisizingisonthewholeruinoustoanydaguerreotype,andtoaperfectoneabsolutelydisgusting。

Thedaymaycomewhenaccuratecoloringmaybeobtainedinthecamera。

Untilthatday,ifwecannotleadtasteintotherightchannel,wewillendeavortogivesuchinstructionsthatDaguerreotypistsmayproceedwiththispartofhisworkwithabetterunderstandingoftheprinciplesinvolved。

ForthispurposeIhavepreparedashortchapterontheartofcoloring,whichmaybefoundinthelatterpartofthisvolume。

ToPreserveDaguerreotypestheymustbewellsealedandsecuredinacase,orframe。These,ofcourse,areselectedaccordingtothetasteofthecustomer,theprincipalrequisitebeinggoodglass。

MostDaguerreotypistspreferthewhiteFrenchplateglass——andmanythink,veryerroneously,thatnoneisgoodunlessitisthick——

butthegreatdesideratumisclearnessandfreedomfromblisters;

evenglassalittletingedwithgreenoryellowistobepreferredtotheFrenchplatewhencloudyorblisteredandthereisverylittleofitcomestothismarketthatisnotso。

Itistobehopedthatsomeofourglassfactorieswillmanagetomanufactureanarticleexpresslyfordaguerreotypes;

andIwouldrecommendthemtodoso,fortheywouldfinditquiteanitemofprofitannually。

Beforeenclosingthepictureinthecaseyoushouldbecarefultowipetheglassperfectlyclean,andblowfromthepictureanyparticlesofdustwhichmayhavefallenuponit。

Thentakestripsofstickingpaper,abouthalforthreequartersofaninchwide,andfirmlyandneatlysecureittotheglass,havingfirstplaceda\"mat\"betweenthemtopreventtheplatebeingscratchedbytheglass。

TOMAKESEALINGPAPER。——Dissolveoneounceofgumarabic,andaquarterofanounceofgumtragicanthinapintofwater;

thenaddateaspoonfulofbenzoin。Spreadthisevenlyononesideofgoodstouttissuepaper;letitdry,andthencutitupinstripes,abouthalforthreequartersofaninchwide,foruse。

Ifitbecomestoosoftforsummeruse,addgumarabic;

iftoohardandcracking,addbenzoinorgumtragicanth;

ifitgetstoothick,addwater。

COLOREDDAGUERREOTYPESONCOPPER。——Toeffectthis,takeapolishedplateofcopperandexposeittothevaporofiodine,orbromine,orthetwosubstancescombined;oreitherofthemincombinationwithchlorine。

Thisgivesasensitivecoatingtothesurfaceoftheplate,whichmaythenbesubmittedtotheactionoflightinthecamera。

Afterremainingasufficienttimeinthecamera,theplateistakenoutandexposedtothevaporofsulphurettedhydrogen。

Thisvaporproducesvariouscolorsontheplate,accordingtotheintensitywithwhichthelighthasactedonthedifferentparts;

consequentlyacoloredphotographicpictureisobtained。

Nofurtherprocessisnecessaryasexposuretolightdoesnoteffectthepicture。

Bythisprocesswehaveanadvantageoverthesilveredplate,bothineconomy,andintheproductionofthepictureincolors。

INSTANTANTANEOUSPICTURESBYMEANSOFGALVANISM。——Itwillbeseenbythefollowingvaluablecommunicationthatgalvanismcanbesuccessfullyappliedinproducingpicturesinstantly;aprocessofgreatimportanceinsecuringthelikenessofachild,orintakingviewsofanimatednature。

ColonelWhitneyinformsmethatheoncetookaviewofthesteepleoftheSt。LouisCourtHouseaftersundownbythismeans)andalsosecuredtheimageofamanintheactofsteppingintoastore,andbeforehehadtimetoplacehisfoot,raisedforthatpurpose,onthedoorstep。

Mr。WhitneyiswellknownasthetalentededitoroftheSundayMorningnews。

NewYork,January16,1849。

Mr。H。H。SNELLING。

DearSir,——AsyouareaboutpublishingahistoryoftheDaguerreotype,andrequestadescriptionofmymodeoftakingpicturesinstantaneouslybytheaidofgalvanism,Icomplywithgreatpleasure。

Intheyear1841,whilepracticingtheartinSt。Louis,Mo。,I

wasattimes,duringthesummer,muchtroubledwiththeelectricinfluenceoftheatmosphere,especiallyontheapproachofathunder-storm。AtsuchtimesIfoundthecoatingofmyplatesmuchmoresensitivethanwhentheatmospherewascomparativelyfreefromtheelectricfluid,andtheeffectwassoirregularthatnocalculationcouldcounteractthedifficulty。

Thissatisfiedmethatelectricitywasinsomemeasureanimportantagentinthechemicalprocess,anditoccurredtomethattheelementmightbeturnedtoadvantage。

Idetermined,therefore,toenteronaseriesofexperimentstotestmytheory。Findingitimpossibletoobtainanelectricmachine,andunwillingtoabandontheexamination,itoccurredtome,thatthegalvanicinfluencemightanswerthesamepurpose。

Ithereforeproceededtomakeagalvanicbatteryinthefollowingsimplemanner。Iobtainedapieceofzincabouttwoincheslong,oneinchwide,andaneighthofaninchthick。

OnthisIsolderedanarrowstripofcopper,aboutsixincheslong,thesolderedendlaidononesideofthezinc,andextendingitswholelength。Thebatterywascompletedbyplacingthezincinaglasstumbler,two-thirdsfullofdilutesulphuricacid,strongenoughtoproduceafreeactionofthemetals。

Theupperendofthecopperslipextendingabovethetumblerwassharpenedtoapoint,andbentalittleovertheglass。

Themethodofusing,wasthus:——Afterpreparingtheplateintheusualmannerandplacingitinthecamera,insuchmannerastoexposethebackoftheplatetoview,thebatterywaspreparedbyplacingthezincintheacid,andassoonasthegalvanicfluidbegantotraverse(ascouldbeknownbytheeffervessenceoftheacid,operatingonthezincandcopper)thecapofthecamerawasremoved,andtheplateexposedtothesitter;atthesameinstantthepointofthebatterywasbroughtquicklyagainstthebackoftheplate,andthecapreplacedinstantly。Iftheplateisexposedmorethananinstantafterthecontactthepicturewillgenerallybefoundsolarized。

BythisprocessIhavetakenpicturesofpersonsintheactofwalking,andintakingthepicturesofinfantsandyoungchildrenIfounditveryuseful。

Veryrespectfullyyours,THOMASR。WHITNEY。

CHAP。VII

PAPERDAGUERREOTYPES。——ETCHINGDAGUERREOTYPES。

Mr。Huntdescribesaprocess,discoveredbyhimselfbywhichtheDaguerreanartmaybeappliedtopaper。

Hisdescriptionisasfollows:——

\"Placingthepaperonsomehardbody,washitoverononeside——

bymeansofaverysoftcamel’shairpencil——withasolutionofsixtygrainsofbromideofpotassium,intwofluidouncesofdistilledwater,andthendryitquicklybythefire。

Beingdry,itisagainwashedoverwiththesamesolution,anddriedasbefore。Asolutionofnitrateofsilver——

onehundredgrainstoanounceofdistilledwater——istobeappliedoverthesamesurface,andthepaperquicklydriedinthedark。

Inthisstatethepapersmaybekeptforuse。

\"Whentheyarerequired,theabovesolutionofsilveristobeplentifullyapplied,andthepaperplacedwetinthecamera,thegreatestcarebeingtakenthatnodaylight——

noteventhefaintestgleam——fallsuponituntilthemomentwhenyouareprepared,byremovingthedarkslide,topermitthelight,radiatingfromtheobjectyouwishtocopy,toactinproducingthepicture。Afterafewsecondsthelightmustbeagainshutoff,andthecameraremovedintoadarkroom。\"

Thenecessityofremovingthecameraisnowavoidedbytheuseofthedarkslide,alreadydescribed,coveringthepictureintheholder,whichalonemayberemoved。——Amer。Aut。

\"Itwillbefoundbytakingthepaperfromtheholder,thatthereisbutaveryfaintoutline——ifany——yetvisible。Placeitaside,inperfectdarknessuntilquitedry;thenplaceitinthemercurialvaporbox(meaningbath)andapplyaverygentleheattothebottom。

Themomentthemercuryvaporizes,thepicturewillbegintodevelopeitself。

Thespiritlampmustnowberemovedforashorttime,andwhentheactionofthemercuryappearstocease,itistobeverycarefullyappliedagain,untilawelldefinedpictureisvisible。Thevaporizationmustthenbesuddenlystopped,andthephotographremovedfromthebox。

Thedrawingwillthenbeverybeautifulanddistinct;butmuchdetailisstillclouded,forthedevelopementofwhichitisonlynecessarytoplaceitinthedarkandsufferittoremainundisturbedforsomehours。Thereisnowaninexpressiblecharmaboutthepictures,equalingthedelicatebeautyofthedaguerreotype;butbeingverysusceptibleofchange,itmustbeviewedbythelightofataperonly。

Thenitrateofsilvermustnowberemovedfromthepaper,bywellwashingitinsoftwater,towhichasmallquantityofsalthasbeenadded,anditshouldafterwardsbesoakedinwateronly。Whenthepicturehasbeendried,washitquicklyoverwithasoftbrushdippedinawarmsolutionofhyposulphiteofsoda,andthenwashitforsometimeindistilledwater,inorderthatallthehyposulphitemayberemoved。

Thedrawingisnowfixedandwemayuseittoprocurepositivecopies,(theoriginalbeingtermedanegative,)manyofwhichmaybetakenfromoneoriginal。\"

\"Theactionoflightonthispreparation,doesindeedappeartobeinstantaneous。Theexquisitedelicacyofthispreparationmaybeimagined,whenIstatethatinfivesecondsinthecamera,Ihave,duringsunshine,obtainedperfectpictures,andthatwhentheskyisovercast,oneminuteisquitesufficienttoproduceamostdecidedeffect。\"

\"Thisverybeautifulprocessisnotwithoutitsdifficulties;

andtheauthorcannotpromisethat,evenwiththeclosestattentiontotheabovedirections,annoyingfailureswillnotoccur。

Itoftenhappensthatsomeaccidentalcircumstance——generallyaprojectingfilmoralittledust——willoccasionthemercurialvaportoactwithgreatenergyononepartofthepaper,andblackenitbeforetheotherportionsareatalleffected。Again,themercurywillsometimesaccumulatealongthelinesmadebythebrush,andgiveastreakyappearancetothepicture,althoughtheselinesarenotatallevidentbeforethemercurialvaporwasapplied。

(Abrushsufficientlylarge——andtheymaybeeasilyobtained——

will,inameasure,preventthisdifficulty。——AmerAu。)

Ihavestatedthatthepapershouldbeplacedwetinthecamera;

thesamepapermaybeuseddry,whichoftenisagreatconvenience。

Wheninthedrystatealittlelongerexposureisrequired;

andinsteadoftakingapictureinfourorfiveseconds,twoorthreeminutesarenecessary。\"

Thedurabilityofdaguerreotypeshasbeen,andisstill,doubtedbymany,butexperimenthasprovedthattheyaremorepermanentthanoilpaintingsorengravings。

ETCHINGDAGUERREOTYPES。——Thereareseveralmethodsofaccomplishingthisobject;discoveredandappliedbydifferentindividuals。

ThefirstprocesswaspublishedatViennabyDr。Berres,andconsistedincoveringtheplatewiththemucilageofgumarabic,andthenimmersingtheplateinnitricacidofdifferentstrengths。

Mr。Figeau,ofwhomIhavealreadyspoken,likewisediscoveredaprocessfortheengravingofDaguerreotypes;andfoundedonthebeliefthatthelightsofaDaguerreotypeplateconsistsofunalteredsilver,whilethedarkorshadowsconsistsofmercuryoranamalgamofmercurywithsilver。

Hefindsthatacompoundacid,consistingofamixtureofnitric,nitrous,andmuriaticacids,orofnitricmixedwithnitrateofpotassandcommonsalt,hasthepropertyofattachingthesilverinpresenceofthemercurywithoutactinguponthelatter。Bi-chlorideofcopperanswersthepurposealso,butlesscompletely。

\"WhenthecleansurfaceofaDaguerreotypeplateisexposedtotheactionofthismenstruum,particularlyifwarm,thewhiteparts,orlightsarenotaltered,butthedarkpartsareattacked,andchlorideofsilverisformed,ofwhichaninsoluablecoatingissoondeposited,andtheactionoftheacidsoonceases。

Thiscoatofchlorideofsilverisremovedbyasolutionofammonia,andthentheacidappliedagain,andsoon,untilthedepthofbitinginissufficient。However,itisnotpossible,byrepeatingthisprocess,togetasufficientforceofimpression;

asecondoperationisrequired,inordertoobtainsuchadepthaswillholdtheink,togiveadarkimpression;forthispurposethewholeplateiscoveredwithdryingoil;thisisclearedoffwiththehand,exactlyinthewayacopperplateprintercleanshisplate。

Theoilisthusleftinthesinkings,ordarkbitteninpartsonly。

Thewholeplateisnowplacedinasuitableapparatus,andthelightsorprominentpartsofthefacearegiltbytheelectrotypeprocess。

ThewholesurfaceisnowtouchedwithwhattheFrenchengraverscallthe\"ResinGrain,\"(grainderesine),aspeciesofpartialstoppingout,anditisatoncebittenintoasufficientdepthwithnitricacid,thegildingpreservingthelightsfromallactionoftheacid。

Theresingraingivesasurfacetothecorrodedpartssuitableforholdingtheink,andtheplateisnowfinishedandfittogiveimpressionsresemblingaquatint。Butassilverissosoftametalthatthesurfaceoftheplatemightbeexpectedtowearrapidly,thediscovererproposestoshielditbydepositingoveritswholesurfaceaverythincoatofcopperbytheelectrotypeprocess;

whichwhenwornmayberemovedatpleasuredowntothesurfaceofthenoblemetalbeneath,andagainafreshcoatofcopperdeposited;

andsoanunlimitednumberofimpressionsobtainedwithoutinjuringtheplateitself。\"

If,ashasbeenasserted,steelmayberenderedsufficientlysensitive,totakephotographicimpressions,towhatarevolutionwilltheartofengravingbesubjectbythediscoveryofthisprocess。

CHAP。VIII。

PHOTOGENICDRAWINGONPAPER。

WeshallnowproceedtodescribethevariousprocessesforPhotogenicdrawingonpaper;first,however,impressingonthemindoftheexperimenter,thenecessitywhichexistsforextremecareineverystageofthemanipulation。

InthisportionofmyworkIamentirelyindebtedtotheworksofProfessorsHunt,Fisherandothers。

I。APPARATUSANDMATERIALS。——Paper。——Theprincipaldifficultytobecontendedwithinusingpaper,isthedifferentpowerofimbibitionwhichweoftenfindpossessedinthesamesheet,owingtotriflinginequalitiesinitstexture。Thisis,toacertainextent,tobeovercomebyacarefulexaminationofeachsheet,bythelightofacandleorlampatnight,orinthedark。

Byextendingeachsheetbetweenthelightandtheeye,andslowlymovingitupanddown,andfromlefttoright,thevariationsinitstexturewillbeseenbythedifferentquantitiesoflightwhichpassthroughitindifferentparts;

anditisalwaysthesafestcoursetorejecteverysheetinwhichinequalitiesexist。Papersometimescontainsminuteportionsofthread,blackorbrownspecks,andotherimperfections,allofwhichmateriallyinterferewiththeprocess。Somepaperhasanartificialsubstancegiventoitbysulphateoflime(PlasterofParis);thisdefectonlyexists,however,inthecheapersortsofdemy,andthereforecanbeeasilyavoided。

Inallcasessuchpapershouldberejected,asnoreallysensitivematerialcanbeobtainedwithit。Paper-makers,asiswellknown,oftenaffixtheirnametoonehalfthesheet;

thismoietyshouldalsobeplacedaside,asthelettersmustfrequentlycomeoutwithannoyingdistinctness。

Wellsizedpaperisbynomeansobjectionable,indeed,israthertobepreferred,sincethesizetendstoexaltthesensitivepowersofthesilver。Theprincipalthingtobeavoided,istheabsorptionofthesensitivesolutionintothepores;

anditmustbeevidentthatthisdesideratumcannotbeobtainedbyunsizedpaper。Takingallthingsintoconsideration,thepaperknownassatinpostwouldappeartobepreferable,althoughtheprecautionsalreadyrecommendedshouldbetakeninitsselection。

Brushes。——Thenecessarysolutionsaretobelaiduponthepaperbybrushes。

Somepersonspassthepaperoverthesurfaceofthesolutions,thuslickingup,asitwere,aportionofthefluid;butthismethodisapttogiveanunevensurface;italsorapidlyspoilsthesolutions。

Atallevents,thebrushisthemostreadyandthemosteffectualmeans。

DistilledWater。——Allthewaterused,bothformixingthesolutions,washingthepaper,orcleaningthebrushes,mustbedistilled,toobtaingoodresults,forreasonsbeforespecified。

BlottingPaper。——Inmanyinstances,thepreparedpaperrequirestobelightlydriedwithbibulouspaper。Thebestdescriptionisthewhitesort。

Ineachstageofthepreparationdistinctportionsofbibulouspapermustbeused。Ifthesebekeptseperateandmarked,theycanbeagainemployedforthesamestage;butitwouldnotdo,forexample,todrythefinishedpictureinthesamefoldsinwhichthesensitivepaperhadbeenpressed。

Averyconvenientmethodistohavetwoorthreequartosizebooksofbibulouspaper,oneforeachseperateprocess。

NitrateofSilver。——Inthepracticeofthephotographicart,muchdependsonthenitrateofsilver。Careshouldbetakentoprocurethebest;thecrystalizedsaltismostsuitableforthepurpose。Whileintheformofcrystalitisnotinjuredbyexposuretolight,butthebottlescontainingthesolutionsofthissaltshouldatalltimesbekeptwrappedindarkpaper,andexcludedfromdaylight。

II。DIFFERENTMETHODSOFPREPARINGTHEPAPER。——PreparationofthePaper。——

Dipthepapertobepreparedintoaweaksolutionofcommonsalt。

Thesolutionshouldnotbesaturated,butsixoreighttimesdilutedwithwater。Whenperfectlymoistened,wipeitdrywithatowel,orpressitbetweenbibulouspaper,bywhichoperationthesaltisuniformlydispersedthroughitssubstance。Thenbrushoverit,ononesideonly,asolutionofnitrateofsilver。Thestrengthofthissolutionmustvaryaccordingtothecolorandsensitivenessrequired。

Mr。Talbotrecommendsaboutfiftygrainsofthesalttoanounceofdistilledwater。Someadvisetwentygrainsonly,whileotherssayeightygrainstotheounce。Whendriedinadarkroom,thepaperisfitforuse。Torenderthispaperstillmoresensitive,itmustagainbewashedwithsaltandwater,andafterwardswiththesamesolutionofnitrateofsilver,dryingitbetweentimes。Thispaper,ifcarefullymade,isveryusefulforallordinaryphotographicpurposes。

Forexample,nothingcanbemoreperfectthantheimagesitgivesofleavesandflowers,especiallywithasummer’ssun;thelight,passingthroughtheleaves,delineateseveryramificationoftheirfibres。

Inconductingthisoperation,however,itwillbefoundthattheresultsaresometimesmoreandsometimeslesssatisfactory,inconsequenceofsmallandaccidentalvariationsintheproportionsemployed。

Ithappenssometimesthatthechlorideofsilverformedonthesurfaceofthepaperisdisposedtoblackenofitself,withoutanyexposuretolight。

Thisshowsthattheattempttogiveitsensibilityhasbeencarriedtoofar。

Theobjectis,toapproachasnearlytothisconditionaspossiblewithoutreachingit;sothatthepreparationmaybeinastatereadytoyieldtotheslightestextraneousforce,suchasthefeeblesteffectoflight。

Cooper’sMethod。——Soakthepaperinaboilinghotsolutionofchlorateofpotash(thestrengthmattersnot)forafewminutes;

thentakeitout,dryit,andwetitwithabrush,ononesideonly,dippedinasolutionofnitrateofsilver,sixtygrainstoanounceofdistilledwater,or,ifnotrequiredtobesosensitive,thirtygrainstotheouncewilldo。Thispaperpossessesagreatadvantageoveranyother,fortheimagecanbefixedbymerewashing。

Itis,however,veryapttobecomediscoloredeveninthewashing,orshortlyafterwards,andis,besides,notsosensitive,nordoesitbecomesodarkasthatmadeaccordingtoMr。Talbot’smethod。

Daguerre’sMethod。——Immersethepaperinhydrochloric(orasitismorecommonlycalled,muriatic)ether,whichhasbeenkeptsufficientlylongtobecomeacid;thepaperisthencarefullyandcompletelydried,asthisisessentialtoitsproperpreparation。

Itisthendippedintoasolutionofnitrateofsilver,anddriedwithoutartificialheatinaroomfromwhicheveryrayoflightiscarefullyexcluded。Bythisprocessitacquiresaveryremarkablefacilityinbeingblackenedonaveryslightexposuretolight,evenwhenthelatterisbynomeansintense。

Thepaper,however,rapidlylosesitsextremesensitivenesstolight,andfinallybecomesnomoreimpressionablebythesolarbeamsthancommonnitratepaper。

BromidePaper。——Ofallcommonphotographicpaper,thebest,becausetheleasttroublesomeinmaking,andthemostsatisfactoryinresult,isthatwhichistermedbrominepaper,andwhichisthusprepared:——Dissolveonehundredgrainsofbromideofpotassiuminoneounceofdistilledwater,andsoakthepaperinthissolution。

Takeoffthesuperfluousmoisture,bymeansofyourbibulouspaper,andwhennearlydry,brushitoverononesideonly,withasolutionofonehundredgrainsofnitrateofsilvertoanounceofdistilledwater。

Thepapershouldthenbedriedinadarkroom,and,ifrequiredtobeverysensitive,shouldasecondtimebebrushedoverwiththenitrateofsilversolution。

Inpreparingthepapersmentionedabove,therearetwocircumstanceswhichrequireparticularattention。Inthefirstplace,itisnecessarytomarkthepaperonthesidespreadwiththesolutionsofnitrateofsilver,nearoneoftheextremecorners。

Thisanswerstwopurposes:inthefirstplaceitservestoinformtheexperimemtalistofthesensitivesurface;andsecondly,itwillbeaguideastowhichportionofthepapershasbeenhandledduringtheapplicationofthesolution,astheimpressofthefingerswillprobablycomeoutuponthephotograph。

Thesecondcautionis,thattheapplicationofthesensitivesolution(nitrateofsilver,)andthesubsequentdryingofthepaper,mustbealwaysconductedinaperfectlydarkroom,thelightofacandlealonebeingused。

III。PHOTOGENICPROCESSONPAPER。——Method。——Thesimplestmodeistoprocureaflatboardandasquareofglass,largerinsizethantheobjectintendedtobecopied。

Ontheboardplacethephotographicpaper[hipho_29。gif]

withthepreparedsideupwards,anduponittheobjecttobecopied;

overbothlaytheglassandsecurethemsothattheyareincloseconnectionbymeansofbindingscrewsorclamps,similartog。g。fig。29。Shouldtheobjecttobecopiedbeofunequalthickness,suchasaleaf,grass,&c。,itwillbenecessarytoplaceontheboard,first,asoftcushion,whichmaybemadeofapieceoffineflannelandcottonwool。

Bythismeanstheobjectisbroughtintoclosercontactwiththepaper,whichisofgreatconsequence,andaddsmateriallytotheclearnessofthecopy。

Thepaperisnowexposedtodiffuseddaylight,or,stillbetter,tothedirectraysofthesun,whenthatpartofthepapernotcoveredbytheobjectwillbecometingedwithavioletcolor,andifthepaperbewellprepared,itwillinashorttimepasstoadeepbrownorbronzecolor。Itmustthenberemoved,asnoadvantagewillbeobtainedbykeepingitlongerexposed;

onthecontrary,thedelicatepartsyetuncoloredwillbecomeinsomedegreeaffected。Thephotogenicpaperwillnowshowamoreorlesswhiteanddistinctrepresentationoftheobject。

Theapparatusfiguredat29consistsofawoodenframesimilartoapictureframe;apieceofplateglassisfixedinfront;

anditisprovidedwithaslidingcoverofwood,c。,whichisremovedwhenthepaperisreadytobeexposedtotheactionofthelight。

Theback,d。,whichisfurnishedwithacushion,asjustdescribed,ismadetoremoveforthepurposeofintroducingtheobjecttobecopied,anduponitthepreparedpaper;thebackisthenreplaced,and,byaidofthecrosspieceandscrew,e。,thewholeisbroughtintoclosecontactwiththeglass。

Theobjectsbestdelineatedonthesephotographicpapers,arelace,feathers,driedplants,particularlytheferns,sea-weedsandthelightgrasses,impressionsofcopperplateandwoodengravings,particularlyiftheyhaveconsiderablecontrastoflightandshade——(theseshouldbeplacedwiththefacedownwards,havingbeenpreviouslypreparedashereafterdirected)——

paintingsonglass,etchings,&c。

TofixtheDrawings。——Mr。Talbotrecommendsthatthedrawingsshouldbedippedinsaltandwater,andinmanyinstancesthismethodwillsucceed,butattimesitisequallyunsuccessful。

Iodideofpotassium,or,asitisfrequentlycalled,hydriodateofpotash,dissolvedinwater,andverymuchdiluted,(twenty-fivegrainstooneounceofwater,)isamoreusefulpreparationtowashthedrawingswith;itmustbeusedveryweakoritwillnotdissolvetheunchangedmuriateonly,asisintendedbuttheblackoxidealso,andthedrawingbetherebyspoiled。

Butthemostcertainmaterialtobeusedisthehyposulphiteofsoda。

Oneounceofthissaltshouldbedissolvedinaboutapintofdistilledwater。Havingpreviouslywashedthedrawinginalittlelukewarmwater,whichofitselfremovesalargeportionofthemuriateofsilverwhichistobegotridof,itshouldbedippedonceortwiceinthehyposulphitesolution。

Bythisoperationthemuriatewhichliesuponthelighterpartswillbecomesoalteredinitsnatureastobeunchangedbylight,whiletherestremainsdarkasbefore。

Itwillbeevidentfromthenatureoftheprocess,thatthelightsandshadowsofanobjectarereversed。Thatwhichisoriginallyopaquewillinterceptthelight,andconsequentlythosepartsofthephotogenicpaperwillbeleastinfluencedbylight,whileanypartoftheobjectwhichistransparent,byadmittingthelightthroughit,willsuffertheeffecttobegreaterorlessinexactproportiontoitsdegreeoftransparency。

Theobjectwhollyinterceptingthelightwillshowawhiteimpression;

inselecting,forexample,abutterflyforanobject,theinsect,beingmoreorlesstransparent,leavesaproportionategradationoflightandshade,themostopaquepartsshowingthewhitest。

Itmaybesaid,therefore,thatthisisnotnatural,andinordertoobtainatruepicture——or,asitistermed,apositivepicture——

wemustplaceourfirstacquiredphotographuponasecondpieceofphotogenicpaper。Beforewedothis,however,wemustrenderourphotographtransparent,otherwisetheopacityofthepaperwillmarourefforts。

Toaccomplishthisobject,thebackofthepapercontainingthenegative,orfirstacquiredphotograph,shouldbecoveredwithwhiteorvirginwax。

Thismaybedonebyscrapingthewaxuponthepaper,andthen,afterplacingitbetweentwootherpiecesofpaper,passingaheatedironoverit。

Thepicture,beingthusrenderedtransparent,shouldnowbeappliedtoasecondpieceofphotogenicpaper,andexposed,inthemannerbeforedirected,eithertodiffusedday-lightortothedirectraysofthesun。

Thelightwillnowpenetratethewhiteparts,andthesecondphotographbethereverseofthefirst,oratruepictureoftheoriginal。

Insteadofwax,boiledlinseedoil——itmustbethebestandmosttransparentkind——maybeused。Thebackofthenegativephotographshouldbesmearedwiththeoil,andthenplacedbetweensheetsofbibulouspaper。

Whendrythepaperishighlytransparent。

IV。APPLICATIONOFPHOTOGENICDRAWING。——Thismethodofphotogenicdrawingmaybeappliedtousefulpurposes,suchasthecopyingofpaintingsonglassbythelightthrownthroughthemonthepreparedpaper——

Imitationsofetchings,whichmaybeaccomplishedbycoveringapieceofglasswithathickcoatofwhiteoilpaint;whendry,withthepointofaneedle,linesorscratchesaretobemadethroughthewhiteleadground,soastolaytheglassbare;

thenplacetheglassuponapieceofpreparedpaper,andexposeittothelight。Ofcourseeverylinewillberepresentedbeneathofablackcolor,andthusanimitationetchingwillbeproduced。

Itisalsoapplicabletothedelineationofmicroscopicobjects,architecture,seulpture,landscapesandexternalnature。

Anovelapplicationofthisarthasbeenrecentlysuggested,whichwoulddoubtlessproveusefulinverymanyinstances。

Byrenderingthewoodusedforengravingssensitivetolight,impressionsmaybeatoncemadethereon,withouttheaidoftheartist’spencil。Thepreparationofthewoodissimplyasfollows:——Placeitsfaceorsmoothsidedownwards,inaplatecontainingtwentygrainsofcommonsaltdissolvedinanounceofwater;hereletitremainforfiveminutes,takeitoutanddryit;thenplaceitagainfacedownwardsinanotherplatecontainingsixtygrainsofnitrateofsilvertoanounceofwater;hereletitrestoneminute,whentakenoutanddriedinthedarkitwillbefitforuse,andwillbecome,onexposuretothelight,ofafinebrowncolor。

Shoulditberequiredmoresensitive,itmustbeimmersedineachsolutionasecondtime,forafewsecondsonly。

Itwillnowbeverysooneffectedbyaverydiffusedlight。

Thisprocessmaybeusefultocarversandwoodengraversnotonlytothosewhocutthefineobjectsofartisticaldesign,butstillmoretothosewhocutpatternsandblocksforlace,muslin,calico-printing,paperhangings,etc。,asbythismeanstheerrors,expenseandtimeofthedraughtsmanmaybewhollysaved,andinaminuteortwothemostelaboratepictureordesign,orthemostcomplicatedmachinery,bedelineatedwiththeutmosttruthandclearness。

CHAP。IX。

CALOTYPEANDCHRYSOTYPE。

ThematerialsandapparatusnecessaryfortheCalotypeprocessare——

TwoorThreeShallowDishes,forholdingdistilledwater,iodide,potassium,&c。——thesamewaterneverbeingusedfortwodifferentoperations。

WhiteBibulousPaper。

PhotogenicCamera——Fig。9。

PressureFrame——Fig29。

Paper,oftheverybestquality——directionsforthechoiceofwhichhavebeenalreadygiven。

AScreenofYellowGlass。

Camels’orBadgers’hairBrushes:——Aseperateonebeingkeptforeachwashandsolution,andwhichshouldbethoroughlycleansedimmediatelyafterusingindistilledwater。

Thatusedforthegallo-nitrateissoondestroyed,owingtotherapiddecompositionofthatpreparation。

AGraduatedMeasure。

ThreeorFourFlatBoards,towhichthepapermaybefixedwithdrawingpins。

AHotWaterDryingApparatus,fordryingthepaperwillalsobefounduseful。

InpreparingtheCalotypepaper,itisnecessarytobeextremelycareful,notonlytopreventthedaylightfromimpringinguponit,butalsotoexclude,ifpossible,thestrongglareofthecandleorlamp。

Thismaybeeffectedbyusingashadeofyellowglassorgauze,whichmustbeplacedaroundthelight。Lightpassingthroughsuchamediumwillscarcelyaffectthesensitivecompounds,theyellowglassinterceptingthechemicalrays。

PreparationoftheIodizedPaper。——Dissolveonehundredgrainsofcrystalizednitrateofsilverinsixouncesofdistilledwater,andhavingfixedthepapertooneoftheboards,brushitoverwithasoftbrushononesideonlywiththissolution,amarkbeingplacedonthatsidewherebyitmaybeknown。

Whennearlydrydipitintoasolutionofiodideofpotassium,containingfivehundredgrainsofthatsaltdissolvedinapintofwater。

Whenperfectlysaturatedwiththissolution,itshouldbewashedindistilledwater,drainedandallowedtodry。Thisisthefirstpartoftheprocess,andthepapersopreparediscallediodizedpaper。

Itshouldbekeptinaport-folioordraweruntilrequired:

withthiscareitmaybepreservedforanylengthoftimewithoutspoilingorundergoinganychange。

Mr。Cundellfindsastrongersolutionofnitrateofsilverpreferable,andemploysthirtygrainstotheounceofdistilledwater:

healsoaddsfiftygrainsofcommonsalttotheiodideofpotassium,whichheappliestothemarkedsideofthepaperonly。

Thisisthefirstprocess。

PreparationofthepaperfortheCamera。——ThesecondprocessconsistsinapplyingtotheaboveasolutionwhichhasbeennamedbyMr。Talbotthe\"Gallo-NitrateofSilver;\"itispreparedinthefollowingmanner:

Dissolveonehundredgrainsofcrystalizednitrateofsilverintwoouncesofdistilledwater,towhichisaddedtwoandtwo-thirddrachmsofstrongaceticacid。Thissolutionshouldbekeptinabottlecarefullyexcludedfromthelight。Now,makeasolutionofgallicacidincolddistilledwater:thequantitydissolvedisverysmall。

Whenitisrequiredtotakeapicture,thetwoliquidsabovedescribedshouldbemixedtogetherinequalquantities;butasitspeedilyundergoedecomposition,andwillnotkeepgoodformanyminutes,onlyjustsufficientforthetimeshouldbeprepared,andthatusedwithoutdelay。

Itisalsowellnottomakemuchofthegallicacidsolution,asitwillnotkeepformorethanafewdayswithoutspoiling。

Asheetoftheiodizedpapershouldbewashedoverwithabrushwiththismixedsolution,carebeingtakenthatitbeappliedtothemarkedside。

Thisoperationmustbeperformedbycandlelight。Letthepaperresthalfaminute,thendipitintooneofthedishesofwater,passingitbeneaththesurfaceseveraltimes;itisnowallowedtodrain,anddriedbyplacingitsmarkedsideupwards,onthedryingapparatus。

Itisbetternottotouchthesurfacewithbibulouspaper。

Itisnowhighlysensitive,andreadytoreceivetheimpression。

Inpracticeitisfoundbetterandmoreeconomicalnottomixthenitrateofsilverandgallicacid,butonlytobrushthepaperwiththesolutionofthenitrate。

Mr。Talbothasrecentlyproposedsomemodificationsinhismethodofpreparingthecalotypepaper。Thepaperisfirstiodizedintheusualway;

itisthenwashedoverwithasaturatedsolutionofgallicacidindistilledwateranddried。Thuspreparedhecallsittheio-gallicpaper:

itwillremaingoodforaconsiderabletimeifkeptinapressorportfolio。

Whenrequiredforuse,itiswashedwithasolutionofnitrateofsilver(fiftygrainstotheounceofdistilledwater),anditisthenfitforthecamera。

ExposureintheCamera。——Thecalotypepaperthuspreparedpossessesaveryhighdegreeofsensibilitywhenexposedtolight,andwearethusprovidedwithamediumbywhich,withtheaidofthephotogeniccamera,wemayeffectuallycopyviewsfromnature,figures,buildings,andeventakeportraitsfromtheshadowsthrownonthepaperbythelivingface。

Thepapermaybeusedsomewhatdamp。Thebestplanforfixingitinthecameraistoplaceitbetweenapieceofplateglassandsomeothermaterialwithaflatsurface,asapieceofsmoothslateoranironplate,whichlatter,ifmadewarm,rendersthepapermoresensitive,andconsequentlythepictureisobtainedmorerapidly。

TimeofExposure。——Withregardtothetimewhichshouldbeallowedforthepapertoremaininthecamera,nodirectrulescanbelaiddown;thiswilldependaltogetheruponthenatureoftheobjecttobecopied,andthelightwhichprevails。

Allthatcanbesaidis,thatthetimenecessaryforformingagoodpicturevariesfromthirtysecondstofiveminutes,anditwillbenaturallythefirstobjectoftheoperatortogainbyexperiencethisimportantknowledge。

BringingOutthePicture。——Thepaperwhentakenfromthecamera,whichshouldbedonesoastoexcludeeveryrayoflight——andherethedarkslideofthecameraplateholderbecomesofgreatuse——

bearsnoresemblancetothepicturewhichinrealityisformed。

Theimpressionislatentandinvisible,anditsexistencewouldnotbesuspectedbyanyonenotacquaintedwiththeprocessbypreviousexperiment。Themethodofbringingouttheimageisverysimple。

Itconsistsinwashingthepaperwiththegallo-nitrateofsilver,preparedinthewayalreadydescribed,andthenwarmingitgently,beingcarefulatthesametimenottoletanyportionbecomeperfectlydry。Inafewsecondsthepartofthepaperuponwhichthelighthasactedwillbegintodarken,andfinallygrowentirelyblack,whiletheotherpartsretaintheiroriginalcolor。

Evenaweakimpressionmaybebroughtoutbyagainwashingthepaperinthegallo-nitrate,andoncemoregentlywarmingit。

Whenthepaperisquiteblack,asisgenerallythecase,itisahighlycuriousandbeautifulphenomenontowitnessthecommencementofthepicture,firsttracingoutthestrongeroutlines,andthengraduallyfillingupallthenumerousandcomplicateddetails。

Theartistshouldwatchthepictureasitdevelopesitself,andwheninhisjudgmentithasattainedthegreatestdegreeofstrengthandclearness,heshallstopfurtherproceedingsbywashingitwiththefixingliquid。

Hereagainthemixedsolutionneednotbeused,butthepicturesimplybrushedoverwiththegallicacid。

TheFixingProcess。——Inordertofixthepicturethusobtained,firstdipitintowater;thenpartlydryitwithbibulouspaper,andwashitwithasolutionofbromideofpotassium——containingonehundredgrainsofthatsaltdissolvedineightortenouncesofdistilledwater。

Thepictureisagainwashedwithdistilledwater,andthenfinallydried。

Insteadofbromideofpotassium,asolutionofhyposulphiteofsoda,asbeforedirected,maybeusedwithequaladvantage。

Theoriginalcalotypepicture,likethephotographiconedescribedinthelastchapter,isnegative,thatistosay,ithasitslightsandshadesreversed,givingthewholeanappearancenotconformabletonature。Butitiseasyfromthispicturetoobtainanotherwhichshallbeconformabletonature;viz。,inwhichthelightsshallberepresentedbylights,andtheshadesbyshades。

Itisonlynecessarytotakeasheetofphotographicpaper(thebromidepaperisthebest),andplaceitincontactwithacalotypepicturepreviouslyrenderedtransparentbywaxoroilasbeforedirected。

Fixitintheframe,Fig。29,exposeitinthesunshineforashorttime,andanimageorcopywillbeformedonthephotogenicpaper。

Thecalotypepaperitselfmaybeusedtotakethesecond,orpositive,picture,butthisMr。Talbotdoesnotrecommend,foralthoughittakesamuchlongertimetotakeacopyonthephotogenicpaper,yetthetintsofsuchcopyaregenerallymoreharmoniousandagreeable。

Afteracalotypepicturehasfurnishedanumberofcopiesitsometimesgrowsfaint,andthesubsequentcopiesareinferior。

Thismaybepreventedbymeansofaprocesswhichrevivesthestrengthofthecalotypepictures。Inordertodothis,itisonlynesessarytowashthembycandlelightwithgallo-nitrateofsilver,andthenwarmthem。Thiscausesalltheshadesofthepicturetodarkenconsiderably,whilethewhitepartsareunaffected。

Afterthisthepictureisofcoursetobefixedasecondtime。

Itwillthenyieldasecondseriesofcopies,and,inthisway,agreatnumbermayfrequentlybemade。

Thecalotypepictureswhenpreparedaswehavestated,possessayellowishtint,whichimpedestheprocessoftakingcopiesfromthem。

Inordertoremedythisdefect,Mr。Talbothasdevisedthefollowingmethod。Thecalotypepictureisplungedintoasolutionconsistingofhyposulphiteofsodadissolvedinabouttentimesitsweightofwater,andheatednearlytotheboilingpoint。

Thepictureshouldremaininabouttenminutes;itmustthenberemoved,washedanddried。Bythisprocessthepictureisrenderedmoretransparent,anditslightsbecomewhiter。

Itisalsorenderedexceedinglypermanent。Afterthisprocessthepicturemaybewaxed,andthusitstransparencyincreased。

Thisprocessisapplicabletoallphotographicpaperspreparedwithsolutionsofsilver。

Havingthusfully,anditishopedclearly,consideredtheprocess,itmaybenecessarybeforedismissingthecalotypefromnotice,toaddoneortworemarksfromtheobservationsandlaborsofsomewhohaveexperimentedinthisart。Dr。RyaninhislecturesbeforetheRoyalPolytechnicInstitution,hasobserved,thatintheiodizingprocessthesensitivenessofthepaperismateriallyinjuredbykeepingittoolonginthesolutionofiodideofpotassium,owingtothenewlyformediodideofsilverbeingsoexceedinglysolvableinexcessofiodideofpotassiumasinafewminutestobecompletelyremoved。

Thepapershouldhedippedinthesolutionandinstantlyremoved。

Thereisanotherpoint,too,inthepreparationoftheiodizedpaperinwhichsuggestionsforaslightdeviationfromMr。Talbot’splanhavebeenmade。Inthefirstinstance,itisrecommendedthatthepaperbebrushedoverwiththeiodideofpotassium,insteadofthenitrateofsilver,transposing,infact,theapplicationofthefirsttwosolutions。

Thepaper,havingbeenbrushedoverwiththeiodideofpotassiuminsolution,iswashedindistilledwateranddried。

Itisthenbrushedoverwithnitrateofsilver,andafterdryingisdippedfor,amomentinafreshsolutionofiodideofpotassiumofonlyone-fourththestrengthofthefirst,thatistosay,onehundredandtwenty-fivegrainsofthesalttoapintofwater。Afterthisitisagainwashedanddried。

Theadvantagederivedfromthismethod,isamoresensitivepaper,andamoreevendistributionofthecompoundsoverthesurface。

AnotherdeviationfromMr。Talbot’smethodhasbeensuggested,asfollows:

Brushthepaperoverwithasolutionofonehundredgrainsofnitrateofsilvertoanounceofwater。Whennearly,butnotquite,dry,dipitintoasolutionoftwenty-fivegrainsofiodideofpotassiumtooneounceofdistilledwater,drainit,washitindistilledwaterandagaindrainit。

Nowbrushitoverwithaceto-nitrateofsilver,madebydissolvingfiftygrainsofnitrateofsilverinoneounceofdistilledwater,towhichisaddedonesixthofitsvolumeofstrongaceticacid。

Dryitwithbibulouspaper,anditisreadyforreceivingtheimage。

Whentheimpressionhasbeenreceived,whichwillrequirefromonetofiveminutesaccordingtothestateoftheweather,itmustbewashedwithasaturatedsolutionofgallicacidtowhichafewdropsoftheaceto-nitrateofsilver,madeasabove,havebeenadded。

Theimagewillthusbegraduallybroughtout,andmaybefixedwithhyposulphiteofsoda。Toobtainthepositivepicture,papermustbeusedbrushedoverwithanammonio-nitrateofsilver,madethus:

fortygrainsofnitrateofsilveristobedissolvedinoneounceofdistilledwater,andliquidammoniacautiouslyaddedtillitre-dissolvestheprecipitate。

Apleasingeffectmaybegiventocalotype,orindeedtoallphotographicpictures,bywaxingthemattheback,andmountingthemonwhitepaper,orifcoloredpaperbeused,variousbeautifultonesofcolorareproduced。

POSITIVECALOTYPE。

AtameetingoftheBritishAssociation,ProfessorGrovedescribedaprocessbywhichpositivecalotypepicturescouldbedirectlyobtained;andthusthenecessitytotransferbywhichtheimperfectionsofthepaperareshown,andwhichismoreoveratroublesomeandtediousprocess,isavoided。

Aslightfavorsmostchemicalactions,Mr。Grovewasledtobelievethatapaperdarkenedbythesun(whichdarkeningissupposedtoresultfromtheprecipitationofsilver)

mightbebleachedbyusingasolventwhichwouldnotattackthesilverinthedark,butwoulddosointhelight。

Theplanfoundtobethemostsuccessfulisasfollows:

ordinarycalotypepaperisdarkenedtillitassumesadeepbrowncolor,almostamountingtoblack;itisthenredippedintotheordinarysolutionofiodideofpotassium,anddried。

Whenrequiredforuseitisdrawnoverdilutenitricacid——

onepartacidtotwoandahalfpartswater。Inthisstate,thosepartsexposedtothelightarerapidlybleached,whilethepartsnotexposedremainunchanged。Itisfixedbywashinginwater,andsubsequentlyinhyposulphiteofsoda,orbromideofpotassium。

Mr。Grovealsodescribesaprocessforconvertinganegativecalotypeintoapositiveone,whichpromises,whencarriedout,tobeofgreatutility。

Letanordinarycalotypeimageorportraitbetakeninthecamera,anddevelopedbygallicacid;thendrawnoveriodideofpotassiumanddilutenitricacidandexposedtofullsunshine;whilebleachingthedarkparts,thelightisredarkeningthenewlyprecipitatediodideinthelighterportionsandthusthenegativepictureisconvertedintoapositiveone。

Thecalotypeprocesshasbeenappliedtotheartofprinting,inEngland,butitpossessesnoadvantageswhateveroverthemethod,withtype,nowsogloriouslybroughttoperfection;

andIcanhardlythinkitwilleverbemadeofanyutility。

Forthebenefitofthecurious,however,IwillgiveMr。Talbot’smethod。