第3章

类别:其他 作者:Johann Christoph Friedrich von字数:22948更新时间:19/01/03 14:38:45
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。