ORTHEPRODUCTIONOFPICTURESTHROUGHTHEAGENCYOFLIGHT。
CONTAININGALLTHEINSTRUCTIONSNECESSARYFORTHECOMPLETE
PRACTICEOFTHEDAGUERREANANDPHOTOGENICART,BOTHONMETALIC,PLATESANDONPAPER。
TOEDWARDANTHONY,ESQ。,ANESTEEMEDFRIEND。
Whosegentlemanlydeportment,liberalfeelings,andstrictintegrityhavesecuredhimalargecircleoffriends,thisworkisRespectfullyDedicatedBytheAUTHOR。
PREFACE。
TheobjectofthislittleworkistofillavoidmuchcomplainedofbyDaguerreotypists——particularlyyoungbeginers。
Theauthorhaswaitedalongtimeinhopesthatsomemoreablepenwouldbedevotedtothesubject,butthewantsofthenumerous,andconstantlyincreasing,class,justmentioned,induceshimtowaitnolonger。
AlltheEnglishworksonthesubject——particularlyonthepracticalapplication,ofPhotogenicdrawing——aredeficientinmanyminutedetails,whichareessentialtoacompleteunderstandingoftheart。
Manyoftheirmethodsofoperatingareentirelydifferentfrom,andmuchinferiorto,thosepractisedintheUnitedStates:
theirapparatus,also,cannotcomparewithoursforcompleteness,utilityorsimplicity。
Ishall,therefore,confinemyselfprincipally——sofarasPhotogenicdrawinguponmetalicplatesisconcerned——tothemethodspractisedbythemostcelebratedandexperiencedoperators,drawinguponFrenchandEnglishauthorityonlyincaseswhereIfinditessentialtothepurposeforwhichIdesignmywork,namely:furnishingacompletesystemofPhotography;
suchanoneaswillenableanygentleman,orlady,whomaywishtopractisetheart,forprofitoramusement,todosowithoutthetroubleandexpenseofseekinginstructionfromprofessors,whichinmanycaseswithinmyownknowledgehaspreventedpersonsfromembracingtheprofession。
ToEnglishauthorsIamprincipallyindebtedforthatportionofmyworkrelatingtoPhotogenicdrawingonpaper。
Tothemweowenearlyallthemostimportantimprovementsinthatbranchoftheart。Besides,ithasbeenbutseldomattemptedintheUnitedStates,andthenwithoutanydecidedsuccess。
OftheseattemptsIshallspeakfurtherintheHistoricalportionofthisvolume。
Everythingessential,therefore,toacompleteknowledgeofthewholeart,comprisingallthemostrecentdiscoveriesandimprovementsdowntothedayofpublicationwillbefoundhereinlaiddown。
INTRODUCTION
NewYork,January27,1849。
E。ANTHONY,ESQ。
DearSir,——Insubmitingtheaccompanying\"HistoryandPracticeofPhotographytoyourperusal,andforyourapprobation,Idosowiththeutmostconfidenceinyourabilityasapracticalman,longengagedinthescienceofwhichittreats,aswellasyourknowledgeofthesciencesgenerally;aswellasyourregardforcandor。
Toyou,therefore,IleavethedecisionwhetherornoIhaveaccomplishedmypurpose,andproducedaworkwhichmaynotonlybeofpracticalbenefittotheDaguerreanartist,butofgeneralinteresttothereadingpublic,andyourdecisionwillinfluencemeinofferingitfor,orwithholdingitfrom,publication。
Ifitmeetsyourapprobation,Iwouldmostrespectfullyaskpermissiontodedicateittoyou,subscribingmyself,Withesteem,Evertrulyyours,HENRYH。SNELLING
NewYork,February1st,1849。
Mr。H。H。SNELLING。
DearSir——YournoteofJanuary27th,requestingpermissiontodedicatetomeyour\"HistoryandPracticeofPhotography,\"
Iesteemahighcompliment,particularlysinceIhavereadthemanuscriptofyourwork。
Suchatreatisehaslongbeenneeded,andthemannerinwhichyouhavehandledthesubjectwillmakethebookasinterestingtothereadingpublicasitisvaluabletotheDaguerreanartist,ortheamateurdabblerinPhotography。
IhavereadnearlyallofthemanyworksuponthisartthathaveemanatedfromtheLondonandParispresses,andIthinkthereaderwillfindinyoursthepithofthemall,withmuchpracticalandusefulinformationthatI
donotremembertohaveseencommunicatedelsewhere。
ThereismuchinittoarousethereflectiveandinventivefacultiesofourDaguerreotypists。Theyhaveheretoforestumbledalongwithverylittleknowledgeofthetruetheoryoftheirart,andyetthequalityoftheirproductionsisfarinadvanceofthoseoftheFrenchandEnglishartists,mostofwhoseestablishmentsIhavehadthepleasureofvisitingIfeeltherefore,thatwhenasufficientamountoftheoreticknowledgeshallhavebeenaddedtothispracticalskillonthepartofouroperators,andwhentheyshallhavebeenmadefullyacquaintedwithwhathasbeenattainedorattemptedbyothers,astillgreateradvanceintheartwillbemanifested。
AGOODDaguerreotypistisbynomeansameremachinefollowingacertainsetoffixedrules。Successinthisartrequirespersonalskillandartistictastetoamuchgreaterdegreethantheunthinkingpublicgenerallyimagine;infactmorethanisimaginedbynine-tenthsoftheDaguerreotypiststhemselves。
Andweseeasanaturalresult,thatwhilethebusinessnumbersitsthousandsofvotaries,butfewrisetoanydegreeofeminence。
Itisbecausetheylookupontheirbusinessasameremechanicaloperation,andhavingnoaimorpridebeyondtheearningoftheirdailybread,theycalculatewhatwillbeafairpercentageonthecostoftheirplate,case,andchemicals,leavingMIND,whichisasmuchCAPITALasanythingelse(whereitisexercised,)
entirelyoutofthequestion。
TheartoftakingphotographsonPAPER,ofwhichyourworktreatsatconsiderablelength,hasasyetattractedbutlittleattentioninthiscountry,thoughdestined,asIfullybelieve,toattainanimportancefarsuperiortothattowhichtheDaguerreotypehasrisen。
TheAmericanmindneedsawakingupuponthesubject,andI
thinkyourbookwillgiveapowerfulimpulseinthisdirection。
InGermanyahighdegreeofperfectionhasbeenreached,andIhopeyourcountrymenwillnotbeslowtofollow。
YourinterestingaccountoftheexperimentsofMr。Wattleswasentirelynewtome,andisanotheramongthemanyevidencesthatwhentheageisfullyripeforanygreatdiscovery,itisrarethatitdoesnotoccurtomorethanasinglemind。
Trustingthatyourworkwillmeetwiththeencouragementwhichyourtroubleinpreparingitdeserves,andwithgratitudefortheundeservedcomplimentpaidtomeinitsdedication,Iremain,verysincerely,Yourfriendandwellwisher,E。ANTHONY。
PHOTOGRAPHY。
CHAP。I。
ABRIEFHISTORYOFTHEART。
AsinallcasesofgreatandvaluableinventionsinscienceandarttheEnglishlayclaimtothehonorofhavingfirstdiscoveredthatofPhotogenicdrawing。Butweshallseeintheprogressofthishistory,thatlikemanyotherassumptionsoftheirauthors,priorityinthisisnomoreduethem,thentheinventionofsteamboats,orthecottongin。
Thisclaimisfoundeduponthefactthatin1802Mr。WedgwoodrecordedanexperimentintheJournaloftheRoyalInstitutionofthefollowingnature。
\"Apieceofpaper,orotherconvenientmaterial,wasplaceduponaframeandspongedoverwithasolutionofnitrateofsilver;
itwasthenplacedbehindapaintingonglassandthelighttraversingthepaintingproducedakindofcopyuponthepreparedpaper,thosepartsinwhichtherayswereleastinterceptedbeingofthedarkesthues。Here,however,terminatedtheexperiment;
foralthoughbothMr。WedgwoodandSirHumphryDaveyexperimentedcarefully,forthepurposeofendeavoringtofixthedrawingsthusobtained,yettheobjectcouldnotbeaccomplished,andthewholeendedinfailure。\"
This,bytheirownshowing,wastheearliestattemptoftheEnglishsavans。
ButthismuchoftheprinciplewasknowntotheAlchemistsatanearlydate——
althoughpracticallyproducedinanotherway——asthefollowingexperiment,tobefoundinoldbooks,amplyproves。
\"Dissolvechalkinaquafortistotheconsistenceofmilk,andaddtoitastrongsolutionofsilver;keepthisliquorinaglassbottlewellstopped;
thencuttingoutfromapieceofpaperthelettersyouwouldhaveappear,pasteitonthedecanter,andlayitinthesun’sraysinsuchamannerthattheraysmaypassthroughthespacescutoutofthepaperandfallonthesurfaceoftheliquorthepartoftheglassthroughwhichtherayspasswillbeturnedblack,whilethatunderthepaperremainswhite;
butparticularcaremustbeobservedthatthebottlebenotmovedduringtheoperation。\"
Hadnotthealchemistsbeensointentuponthedesiretodiscoverthefarfamedphilosopher’sstone,astomakethemunmindfuloftheaccidentaldawningsofmorevaluablediscoveries,thislittleexperimentinchemistrymighthaveinducedthemtoprosecuteamorethoroughsearchintotheprinciple,andPhotogenicartwouldnotnow,asitis,beanewone。
ItisevenassertedthattheJugglersofIndiawereformanyagesinpossessionofasecretbywhichtheywereenabled,inabriefspace,tocopythelikenessofanyindividualbytheactionoflight。
Thisfact,iffactitbe,mayaccountforthecelebratedmagicmirrorssaidtobepossessedbythesejugglers,andprobablecauseoftheirpoweroverthepeople。
However,asearlyas1556thefactwasestablishedthatacombinationofchlorideandsilver。called,fromitsappearance,hornsilver,wasblackenedbythesun’srays;andinthelatterpartofthelastcenturyMrs。Fulhamepublishedanexperimentbywhichachangeofcolorwaseffectedinthechlorideofgoldbytheagencyoflight;
andgaveitasheropinionthatwordsmightbewritteninthisway。
TheseincidentsareconsideredasthefirststepstowardsthediscoveryofthePhotogenicart。
Mr。Wedgwood’sexperimentscanscarcelybesaidtobeanyimprovementonthemsincehefailedtobringthemtopracticalusefulness,andhiscountrymenwillhavetobesatisfiedwithawardingthehonorofitscompleteadaptationtopracticalpurposes,toMM。
NiepceandDaguerreofFrance,andtoProfessorsDraper,andMorseofNew-York。
Thesegentlemen——MM。NiepceandDaguerre——pursuedthesubjectsimultaneously,withouteither,howeverbeingawareoftheexperimentsofhiscolleagueinscience。Forseveralyears,eachpursuedhisresearchesindividuallyuntilchancemadethemacquainted,whentheyenteredintoco-partnership,andconjointlybroughttheartalmosttoperfection。
M。NiepcepresentedhisfirstpaperonthesubjecttotheRoyalSocietyin1827,naminghisdiscoveryHeliography。WhatledhimtothestudyoftheprinciplesoftheartIhavenomeans,atpresent,ofknowing,butitwasprobablyowingtothefactsrecordedbytheAlchemists,Mrs。Fulhameandothers,alreadymentioned。
ButM。Daguerre,whoisacelebrateddioramicpainter,beingdesirousofemployingsomeofthesingularlychangeablesaltsofsilvertoproduceapeculiarclassofeffectsinhispaintings,wasledtopursueaninvestigationwhichresultedinthediscoveryoftheDaguerreotype,orPhotogenicdrawingonplatesofcoppercoatedwithsilver。
Tothisgentleman——tohisliberality——areweAmericansindebtedforthefreeuseofhisinvention;andthelargeandincreasingclassofDaguerreanartistsofthiscountryshouldholdhiminthemostprofoundrespectforit。
Hewasnotwillingthatitshouldbeconfinedtoafewindividualswhomightmonopolisethebenefitstobederivedfromitspractice,andshutoutallchanceofimprovement。
Likeatrue,nobleheartedFrenchgentlemanhedesiredthathisinventionshouldspreadfreelythroughoutthewholeworld。
WiththeseviewsheopenednegociationswiththeFrenchgovernmentwhichwereconcludedmostfavorablytoboththeinventors,andFrancehasthe\"gloryofendowingthewholeworldofscienceandartwithoneofthemostsurprisingdiscoveriesthathonortheland。\"
Notwithstandingthis,ithasbeenpatentedinEnglandandtheresultiswhatmighthavebeenexpected:EnglishpicturesarefarbelowthestandardofexcellenceofthosetakenbyAmericanartists。
Ihaveseensomemediumportraits,forwhichaguineaeachhadbeenpaid,andtakentoo,byacelebratedartist,thatourpoorestDaguerreotypistswouldbeashamedtoshowtoasecondperson,muchlesssuffertoleavetheirrooms。
CALOTYPE,thenamegiventooneofthemethodsofPhotogenicdrawingonpaper,discovered,andperfectedbyMr。FoxTalbotofEngland,ispreciselyinthesamepredicament,notonlyinthatcountrybutintheUnitedStates,Mr。Talbotbeingpatenteeinboth。
Heisamanofsomewealth,Ibelieve,buthedemandssohighapriceforasinglerightinthiscountry,thatnonecanbefoundwhohavethetemeritytopurchase。
TheexecutionofhispicturesisalsoinferiortothosetakenbytheGermanartists,andIwouldremarkenpassant,thattheMessrs。
MeadexhibitedatthelastfairoftheAmericanInstitute,(of1848,)
fourCalotypes,whichoneofthefirmbroughtfromGermanylastSpring,thatforbeauty,depthoftoneandexcellenceofexecutionsurpassthefineststeelengraving。
WhenMr。Talbot’spatentfortheUnitedStatesexpiresandouringeniousYankeeboyshavetheopportunity,IhavenottheslightestdoubtoftheCalotype,intheirhands,entirelysupercedingtheDaguerreotype。
Letthem,therefore,studytheprinciplesoftheartaslaiddowninthislittlework,experiment,practiceandperfectthemselvesinit,andwhenthattimedoesarrivebepreparedtoproducethatdegreeofexcellenceinCalotypetheyhavealreadyobtainedinDaguerreotype。
ItistoProfessorSamuelF。B。Morse,thedistinguishedinventoroftheMagneticTelegraph,ofNewYork,thatweareindebtedfortheapplicationofPhotography,toportraittaking。
HewasinParis,forthepurposeofpresentingtothescientificworldhisElectro-MagneticTelegraph,atthetime,(1838,)M。Daguerreannouncedhissplendiddiscovery,anditsastoundingresultshavinganimportantbearingontheartsofdesignarrestedhisattention。
Inhislettertomeonthesubject,theProfessorgivesthefollowinginterestingfacts。
\"Theprocesswasasecret,andnegociationsweretheninprogress,forthedisclosureofittothepublicbetweentheFrenchgovernmentandthedistinguisheddiscoverer。M。Daguerrehadshownhisresultstotheking,andtoafewonlyofthedistinguishedsavans,andbytheadviceofM。Arago,haddeterminedtowaittheactionoftheFrenchChambers,beforeshowingthemtoanyotherpersons。
Iwasexceedinglydesirousofseeingthem,butknewnothowtoapproachM。Daguerrewhowasastrangertome。
OnmentioningmydesiretoRobertWalsh,Esq。,ourworthyConsul,hesaidtome;’statethatyouareanAmerican,theinventoroftheTelegraph,requesttoseethem,andinvitehiminturntoseetheTelegraph,andIknowenoughoftheurbanityandliberalfeelingsoftheFrench,toinsureyouaninvitation。’
Iwassuccessfullinmyapplication,andwithayoungfriend,sincedeceased,thepromisingsonofEdwardDelevan,Esq。,I
passedamostdelightfulhourwithM。Daguerre,andhisenchantingsun-pictures。Mylettercontaininganaccountofthisvisit,andthesepictures,wasthefirstannouncementinthiscountryofthissplendiddiscovery。\"
\"Imayhereaddthesingularsequeltothisvisit。OnthesucceedingdayM。DaguerrepaidmeavisittoseetheTelegraphandwitnessitsoperations。
Heseemedmuchgratifiedandremainedwithmeperhapstwohours;
twomelancholyhourstohim,astheyafterwardsproved;orwhilehewaswithme,hisbuildings,includinghisdiorama,hisstudio,hislaboratory,withallthebeautifulpicturesIhadseenthedaybefore,wereconsumedbyfire。Fortunatelyformankind,matteronlywasconsumed,thesoulandmindofthegenius,andtheprocesswerestillinexistence。\"
Onhisreturnhome,ProfessorMorsewaitedwithimpatiencefortherevelationofM。Daguerre’sprocess,andnosoonerwasitpublishedthanheprocuredacopyoftheworkcontainingit,andatoncecommencedtakingDaguerreotypepictures。
Atfirsthisobjectwassolelytofurnishhisstudiowithstudiesfromnature;buthisexperimentsledhimintoabeliefofthepracticabilityofprocuringportraitsbytheprocess,andhewasundoubtedlythefirstwhoseattemptswereattendedwithsuccess。Thinking,atthattime,thatitwasnecessarytoplacethesittersinaverystronglight,theywerealltakenwiththeireyesclosed。
Otherswereexperimentingatthesametime,amongthemMr。WolcottandProf。Draper,andMr。Morse,withhisacustomedmodesty,thinksthatitwouldbedifficulttosaytowhomisduethecreditofthefirstDaguerreotypeportrait。
Atallevents,sofarasmyknowledgeservesme,ProfessorMorsedeservesthelaurelwreath,asfromhimoriginatedthefirstofourinumerableclassofDaguerreotypists;andmanyofhispupilshavecarriedthemanipulationtoverygreatperfection。
InconnectionwiththismatterIwillgivetheconcludingparagraphofaprivateletterfromtheProfessortome;Hesays。
\"Ifminewerethefirst,otherexperimenterssoonmadebetterresults,andifthereareanywhodisputethatIwasfirst,Ishallhavenoargumentwiththem;forIwasnotsoanxioustobethefirsttoproducetheresult,astoproduceitinanyway。Iesteemitbutthenaturalcarryingoutofthewonderfuldiscovery,andthatthecreditwasafterallduetoDaguerre。
Ilaynoclaimtoanyimprovements。\"
SinceIcommencedthecompilationofthiswork,IhavehadthepleasureofmakingtheacquaintanceofanAmericangentleman——JamesM。WattlesEsq。——
whoasearlyas1828——anditwillbeseen,bywhatIhavealreadystated,thatthisisaboutthesamedateofM。Niepce’sdiscovery——hadhisattentionattractedtothesubjectofPhotography,orashetermedit\"Solarpicturedrawing,\"whiletakinglandscapeviewsbymeansofthecamera-obscura。
Whenwereflectuponallthecircumstancesconnectedwithhisexperiments,thegreatdisadvantagesunderwhichbelabored,andhisextremeyouthfullness,wecannotbutfeelanationalpride——yetwonder——thatamereyankeeboy,surroundedbythedeepestforests,hundredofmilesfromthepopulousportionofourcountry,withoutthenecessarymaterials,orresourcesforprocuringthem,shouldbytheforceofhisnaturalgeniusmakeadiscovery,andputitinpracticaluse,toaccomplishwhich,themostlearnedphilosophersofEurope,witheveryrequisiteapparatus,andaprofoundknowledgeofchemistry——spentyearsoftoiltoaccomplish。
HowmuchmorelatenttalentmaynowbeslumberingfromtheverysamecausewhichkeptMr。Wattlesfrompubliclyrevealinghisdiscoveries,viz;
wantofencouragement——ridicule!
Atthetimewhentheideaoftakingpicturespermanentlyonpaperbymeansofthecamera-obscurafirstoccurredtohim,hewasbutsixteenyearsofage,andundertheinstructionsofMr。CharlesLeSeuer,(atalentedartistfromParis)attheNewHarmonyschool,Indiana。
Drawingandpaintingbeingthenaturalbentofhismind,bewasfrequentlyemployedbytheprofessorstomakelandscapesketchesinthemannermentioned。Thebeautyoftheimageoftheselandscapesproducedonthepaperinthecamera-obscura,causedhimtopauseandadmirethemwithalltheardorofayoungartist,andwishthatbysomemeans,hecouldfixthemthereinalltheirbeauty。
Fromwishinghebroughthimselftothinkthatitwasnotonlypossiblebutactuallycapableofaccomplishmentandfromthinkingitcould,heresolveditshouldbedone。
Hewas,however,whollyignorantofeventhefirstprinciplesofchemistry,andnaturalphilosophy,andalltheknowledgehewasenabledtoobtainfromhisteacherswasofverylittleservicetohim。
Toaddtothis,wheneverhementionedhishopestohisparents,theylaughedathim,andbadehimattendtohisstudiesandletsuchmoonshinethoughtsalone——stillhepersevered,thoughsecretly,andhemetwiththesucceshispeseverancedeserved。
Forthetruthofhisstatement,Mr。Wattlesreferstosomeofourmostrespectablecitizensresidingatthewest,andIaminhopesthatIshallbeenabledtoreceiveintimeforthispublication,aconfirmationfromoneormoreofthesegentlemen。Bethatasitmay,IfeelconfidentintheintegrityofMr。Wattles,andcangivehisstatementtotheworldwithoutadoubtofitstruth。
Thefollowingsketchofhisexperimentsandtheirresultswill,undoubtedly,beinterestingtoeveryAmericanreaderandalthoughsomeoftheprofoundphilosophersofEuropemaysmileathismethodofproceeding,itwillinsomemeasureshowtheinnategeniusofAmericanminds,andprovethatwearenotfarbehindourtrans-atlanticbrethrenintheartsandsciences。
Mr。Wattlessays:\"Inmyfirsteffortstoeffectthedesiredobject,theywerefeebleindeed,andowingtomylimitedknowledgeofchemistry——
whollyacquiredbyquestioningmyteachers——Imetwithrepeatedfailuresbutfollowingthemupwithadeterminedspirit,Iatlastproduced,whatIthoughtveryfairsamples——buttoproceedtomyexperiments。\"
\"Ifirstdippedaquartersheetofthinwhitewritingpaperinaweaksolutionofcaustic(asIthencalledit)anddrieditinanemptybox,tokeepitinthedark;whendry,Iplaceditinthecameraandwatcheditwithgreatpatiencefornearlyhalfanhour,withoutproducinganyvisibleresult;evidentlyfromthesolutionbeingtoweak。
Ithensoakedthesamepieceofpaperinasolutionofcommonpotash,andthenagainincausticwateralittlestrongerthanthefirst,andwhendryplaceditinthecamera。Inaboutforty-fiveminutesI
plainlypercievedtheeffect,inthegradualdarkeningofvariouspartsoftheview,whichwastheoldstonefortintherearoftheschoolgarden,withthetrees,fence,&c。Ithenbecameconvincedofthepracticabilityofproducingbeautifulsolarpicturesinthisway;but,alas!mypicturevanishedandwithit,all——nonotall——myhopes。WithreneweddeterminationIbeganagainbystudyingthenatureofthepreparation,andcametotheconclusion,thatifIcoulddestroythepartnotacteduponbythelightwithoutinjuringthatwhichwassoactedupon,Icouldsavemypictures。Ithenmadeastrongsolutionofsal。
sodaIhadinthehouse,andsoakedmypaperinit,andthenwasheditoffinhotwater,whichperfectlyfixedtheviewuponthepaper。
Thispaperwasverypoorwiththickspots,moreabsorbentthanotherparts,andconsequentlymadedarkshadesinthepicturewheretheyshouldnothavebeen;butitwasenoughtoconvincemethatIhadsucceeded,andthatatsomefuturetime,whenIhadthemeansandamoreextensiveknowledgeofchemistry,Icouldapplymyselftoitagain。
Ihavedonesosince,atvarioustimes,withperfectsuccess;
butineveryinstancelaboringunderadversecircumstances。\"
Ihaveveryrecentlylearned,that,underthepresentpatentlawsoftheUnitedStates,everyforeignpatenteeisrequiredtoputhisinvention,ordiscovery,intopracticalusewithineighteenmonthsaftertakingouthispapers,orotherwiseforfeithispatent。
WithregardtoMr。Talbot’sCalotypepatent,thistimehasnearly,ifnotquiteexpired,andmycountrymenarenowatperfectlibertytoappropriatetheartiftheyfeeldisposed。
FromthestatementofMr。Wattles,itwillbeperceivedthatthiscanbedonewithoutdishonor,asinthefirstinstanceMr。Talbothadnopositiverighttohispatent。
Photography;orsun-paintingisdivided,accordingtothemethodsadoptedforproducingpictures,intoDAGUERREOTYPE,CHROMATYPE,CALOTYPE,ENERGIATYPE,CHRYSOTYPE,ANTHOTYPEandCYANOTYPE,AMPHITYPE。
CHAP。II。
THETHEORYONLIGHT。——THEPHOTOGRAPHICPRINCIPLE
SomephilosopherscontendthattotheexistenceoflightaloneweowethebeautifuleffectsproducedbythePhotogenicart,whileothersgivesufficientreasonsfordoubtingthecorrectnessoftheassumption。
Thattheresultsareeffectedbyaprincipleassociatedwithlightandnotbytheluminousprincipleitself,isthemostprobableconclusion。
Theimportanceofaknowledgeofthisfactbecomesmostessentialinpractice,aswillpresentlybeseen。TothisprincipleMr。HuntgivesthenameofENERGIA。
THENATUREofLightisnotwhollyknown,butitisgenerallybelievedtobematter,asinitsmotionsitobeysthelawsregulatingmatter。
Socloselyisitconnectedwithheatandelectricitythattherecanbelittledoubtoftheirallbeingbutdifferentmodificationsofthesamesubstance。
Iwillnot,however,enterintoastatementofthevarioustheoriesofPhilosophersonthishead,butcontentmyselfwiththatofSirIsaacNewton;
whosupposedraysoflighttoconsistofminuteparticlesofmatter,whichareconstantlyemanatingfromluminousbodiesandcausevision,asodoriferousparticles,proceedingfromcertainbodies,causesmelling。
Theeffectsoflightuponotherbodies,andhowlightiseffectedbythem,involvesomeofthemostimportantprinciples,whichifproperlyunderstoodbyDaguerreotypistswouldenablethemtoimproveandcorrectmanyofthepracticaloperationsintheirart。
Theseeffectsweshallexhibitinthisandthefollowingchapters。
BeforeweenteronthissubjectitwillbenecessarytobecomefamiliarwiththeDEFINITIONSofsomeofthetermsusedinthescienceofoptics。
Luminousbodiesareoftwokinds;thosewhichshinebytheirownlight,andthosewhichshinebyreflectedlight。
Transparentbodiesaresuchaspermitraysoflighttopassthroughthem。
Translucentbodiespermitlighttopassfaintly,butwithoutrepresentingthefigureofobjectsseenthroughthem。
Opaquebodiespermitnolighttopassthroughthem,butreflectlight。
Arayisalineoflight。
Abeamisacollectionofparallelrays。
Apencilisacollectionofconverging,ordivergingrays。
Amediumisanyspacethroughwhichlightpasses。
Incidentraysarethosewhichfalluponthesurfaceofabody。
Reflectedraysarethosewhicharethrownofffromabody。
Parallelraysaresuchasproceedequallydistantfromeachotherthroughtheirwholecourse。
Convergingraysaresuchasapproachandtendtouniteatanyonepoint,asatb。fig。3。
Divergingraysarethosewhichcontinuetorecedefromeachother,asate。Fig。3。
AFocusisthatpointatwhichconvergingraysmeet。
MOTIONOFLIGHT——Raysoflightarethrownofffromluminousbodiesineverydirection,butalwaysinstraightlines,whichcrosseachotherateverypoint;buttheparticlesofwhicheachrayconsistsaresominutethattheraysdonotappeartobeimpededbyeachother。
Arayoflightpassingthroughanapertureintoadarkroom,proceedsinastraightline;afactofwhichanyonemaybeconvincedbygoingintoadarkenedroomandadmitinglightonlythroughasmallaperture。
Lightalsomoveswithgreatvelocity,butbecomesfainterasitrecedesfromthesourcefromwhichiteminates;inotherwords,divergingraysoflightdiminishinintensityasthesquareofthedistanceincreases。
Forinstanceletafig。1,representtheluminousbodyfrom[hipho_1。gif]
whichlightproceeds,andsupposethreesquareboards,b。c。d。
severallyone,fourandsixteensquareinchesinsizebeplaced;
bonefoot,ctwofeet,anddfourfeetfroma,itwillbeperceivedthatthesmallestboardbwillthrowcintoshadow;
thatis,obstructallraysoflightthatwouldotherwisefallonc,andifbwereremovedcwouldinlikemannerhidethelightfromd——Now,ifbrecieveasmuchlightaswouldfalloncwhosesurfaceisfourtimesaslarge,thelightmustbefourtimesaspowerfulandsixteentimesaspowerfulasthatwhichwouldfallonthesecondandthirdboards,becausethesamequantityoflightisdiffusedoveraspacefourandsixteentimesgreater。
Thesesameraysmaybecollectedandtheirintensityagainincreased。
Raysoflightarereflectedfromonesurfacetoanother;Refracted,orbent,astheypassfromthesurfaceofonetransparentmediumtoanother;andInflected,orturnedfromtheircourse,bytheattractionofopaquebodies。Fromthefirstwederivetheprinciplesonwhichmirrorsareconstructed;
tothesecondweareindebtedforthepowerofthelenses,andtheblessingsofsight,——forthelightactsupontheretinaoftheeyeinthesamemannerasonthelensofacamera。
Thelatterhasnoimportantbearinguponoursubject。
Whenarayoflightfallsperpendicularlyuponanopaquebody,itisreflectedbarkinthesamelineinwhichitproceeds;
inthiscasethereflectedrayreturnsinthesamepaththeincidentraytraversed;butwhenarayfallsobliquely,itisreflectedobliquely,thatis,itisthrownoffinoppositedirection,andasfarfromtheperpendicularaswastheincidentray,asshownatFig。2;arepresentingtheincidentrayandbthereflected。
Thepoint,oranglecmadeby[hipho_2。gif]
theincidentray,atthesurfaceofthereflectoref,withalinecd,perpendiculartothatsurface,iscalledtheangleofincidence,whiletheangleformedbythereflectedraybandtheperpendicularlinediscalledtheangleofreflection,andtheseanglesarealwaysequal。
Itisbythisreflectionoflightthatobjectsaremadevisible;
butunlesslightfallsdirectlyupontheeyetheyareinvisible,andarenotsensiblyfeltuntilafteracertainseriesofoperationsuponthevariouscoveringsandhumorsoftheeye。
Smoothandpolishedsurfacesreflectlightmostpowerfully,andsendtotheeyetheimagesoftheobjectsfromwhichthelightproceededbeforereflection。Glass,whichistransparent——
transmittinglight——wouldbeofnousetousasamirror,wereitnotfirstcoatedononesidewithametalicamalgam,whichinterruptstheraysintheirpassagefromtheglassintotheair,andthrowsthemeitherdirectlyintheincidentline,orinanobliquedirection。Thereasonwhytrees,rocksandanimalsarenotallmirrors,reflectingotherformsinsteadoftheirown,is,thattheirsurfacesareuneven,andraysoflightreflectedfromanunevensurfacearediffusedinalldirections。
Parallelraysfallingobliquelyuponaplanemirrorarereflectedparallel;
convergingrays,withthesamedegreeofconvergence;anddivergingraysequallydivergent。
Standbeforeamirrorandyourimageisformedtherein,andappearstobeasfarbehindtheglassasyouarebeforeit,makingtheangleofreflectionequaltothatofincidence,asbeforestated。Theincidentrayandthereflectedrayform,together,whatiscalledthepassageofreflection,andthiswillthereforemaketheactualdistanceofanimagetoappearasfaragainfromtheeyeasitreallyis。
Anyobjectwhichreflectslightiscalledaradiant。
Thepointbehindareflectingsurface,fromwhichtheyappeartodiverge,iscalledthevirtualfocus。
Raysoflightbeingreflectedatthesameangleatwhichtheyfalluponamirror,twopersonscanstandinsuchapositionthateachcanseetheimageoftheotherwithoutseeinghisown。
Again;youmayseeyourwholefigureinamirrorhalfyourlength,butifyoustandbeforeoneafewinchesshorterthewholecannotbereflected,astheincidentraywhichpassesfromyourfeetintothemirrorintheformercase,willinthelatterfallunderit。
Imagesarealwaysreversedinmirrors。
Convexmirrorsreflectlightfromaroundedsurfaceanddispersetheraysineverydirection,causingparallelraystodiverge,divergingraystodivergemore,andconvergingraystoconvergeless——
Theyrepresentobjectssmallerthantheyreallyare——becausetheangleformedbythereflectedrayisrenderedmoreacutebyaconvexthanbyaplanesurface,anditisthediminishingofthevisualangle,bycausingraysoflighttobefartherextendedbeforetheymeetinapoint,whichproducestheimageofconvexmirrors。Thegreatertheconvexityofamirror,themorewilltheimagesoftheobjectsbediminished,andthenearerwilltheyappeartothesurface。
Thesemirrorsfurnishsciencewithmanycuriousandpleasingfacts。
Concavemirrorsarethereverseofconvex;thelatterbeingroundedoutwards,theformerhollowedinwards——theyrenderraysoflightmoreconverging——
collectraysinsteadofdispersingthem,andmagnifyobjectswhiletheconvexdiminishesthem。
Raysoflightmaybecollectedinthefocusofamirrortosuchintensityastomeltmetals。Theordinaryburningglassisanillustrationofthisfact;
althoughtheraysoflightarerefracted,orpassedthroughtheglassandconcentratedintoafocusbeneath。
Whenincidentraysareparallel,thereflectedraysconvergetoafocus,butwhentheincidentraysproceedfromafocus,oraredivergent,theyarereflectedparallel。Itisonlywhenanobjectisnearertoaconcavemirrorthanitscentreofconcavity,thatitsimageismagnified;
forwhentheobjectisfartherfromthemirror,thiscentrewillappearlessthantheobject,andinaninvertedposition。
Thecentreofconcavityinaconcavemirror,isanimaginarypointplacedinthecentreofacircleformedbycontinuingtheboundaryoftheconcavityofthemirrorfromanyonepointoftheedgetoanotherparalleltoandbeneathit。
REFRACTIONOFLIGHT:——Inowpasstotheconsiderationofthepassageoflightthroughbodies。
Arayoflightfailingperpendicularlythroughtheairuponasurfaceofglassorwaterpassesoninastraightlinethroughthebody;
butifit,inpassingfromonemediumtoanotherofdifferentdensity,fallobliquely,itisbentfromitsdirectcourseandrecedesfromit,eithertowardstherightorleft,andthisbendingiscalledrefraction;
(seefig。3,b。)Ifarayoflightpassesfromararerintoadensermediumitisrefractedtowardsaperpendicularinthatmedium;butifitpassesfromadenserintorareritisbentfurtherfromaperpendicularinthatmedium。
Owingtothisbendingoftheraysoflighttheanglesofrefractionandincidenceareneverequal。
Transparentbodiesdifferintheirpowerofbendinglight——
asageneralrule,therefractivepowerisproportionedtothedensity——butthechemicalconstitutionofbodiesaswellastheirdensity,isfoundtoeffecttheirrefractingpower。
Inflamablebodiespossessthispowertoagreatdegree。
Thesinesoftheangleofincidenceandrefraction(thatis,theperpendiculardrawnfromtheextremityofanarctothediameterofacircle,)arealwaysinthesameratio;viz:fromairintowater,thesineoftheangleofrefractionisnearlyasfourtothree,whateverbethepositionoftheraywithrespecttotherefractingsurface。
Fromairintosulphur,thesineoftheangleofrefractionisastwotoone——
thereforetheraysoflightcannotberefractedwheneverthesineoftheangleofrefractionbecomesequaltotheradius*ofacircle,andlightfallingveryobliquelyuponatransparentmediumceasestoberefracted;thisistermedtotalreflection。
*TheRADIUSofacircleisastraightlinepassingfromthecentretothecircumference。
Sincethebrightnessofareflectedimagedependsuponthequantityoflight,itisquiteevidentthatthoseimageswhicharisefromtotalreflectionarebyfarthemostvivid,asinordinarycasesofreflectionaportionoflightisabsorbed。
Ishouldbepleasedtoentermorefullyintothisbranchofthescienceofoptics,buttheboundstowhichIamnecessarilylimitedinaworkofthiskindwillnotadmitofit。
Inthenextchapter,however,IshallgiveasynopsisofMr。Hunt’streatiseonthe\"InfluenceoftheSolarRaysonCompoundBodies,withespecialreferencetotheirPhotographicapplication\"——
AworkwhichshouldbeinthehandsofeveryDaguerreotypist,andwhichIhopesoontoseerepublishedinthiscountry。
IwillconcludethischapterwithabriefstatementoftheprinciplesuponwhichthePhotographicartisfounded。
SOLARandStellerlightcontainsthreekindsofrays,viz:
1。Colorific,orraysofcolor。
2。Calorific,orraysofheat。
3。Chemicalrays,orthosewhichproducechemicaleffects。
OnthefirstandthirdthePhotographicprincipledepends。
Inexplainingthisprincipletheaccompanyingwoodcuts,(figs。3and4)willrenderitmoreintelligible。
Ifapencilofthesun’sraysfalluponaprism,itisbentinpassingthroughthetransparentmedium;andsomeraysbeingmorerefractedthanothers,weprocureanelongatedimageoftheluminousbeam,exhibitingthreedistinctcolors,red,yellowandblue,whicharetoberegardedasprimitives——andfromtheirinterblending,seven,asrecordedbyNewton,andshownintheaccompanyingwoodcut。
Theseraysbeingabsorbed,orreflecteddifferentlybyvariousbodies,givetonaturethecharmofcolor。Thustotheeveisgiventhepleasurewederiveinlookinguponthegreenfieldsandforests,theenumerablevarietiesofflowers,theglowingruby,jasper,topaz,amethist,andemerald,thebrilliantdiamond,andalltherichandvariedhuesofnature,bothanimateandinanimate。
[hipho_3。gif]
Now,ifweallowthisprismaticspectrum(b。fig。3。)tofalluponanysurface(asatc。)preparedwithasensitivephotographiccompound,weshallfindthatthechemicaleffectproducedbearsnorelationtotheintensityofthelightofanyparticularcoloredray,butthat,onthecontrary,itisdispersedoverthelargestportionofthespectrum,beingmostenergeticintheleastluminousrays,andeveractiveoveranextensivespace,wherenotracesoflightcanbedetected。Fig。4,willgivethestudentabetterideaofthisprinciple。Itisacopyofthekindofimpressionwhichthespectrum,spokenof,wouldmakeonapieceofpapercoveredwithaverysensitivephotographicpreparation。
Thewhitespacea。correspondswiththemostluminous,oryellowray,(5,fig。3)overlimitsofwhichallchemicalchangeisprevented。
Asimilaractionisalsoproducedbythelowerendoftheredrayc;
butintheupperportion,howeverwefindadecidedchange(asatd)。Themostactivechemicalchange,youwillpercieve,isproducedbytheraysabovetheyellowa;viz。4,3,2and1
(asatb)thegreen(4)beingtheleastactive,andtheblue(3)andviolet(1)raysthemostso,theactionstillcontinuingfarbeyondthepointbwhichistheendoftheluminousimage。
[hipho_4。gif]
SupposewewishtocopybytheDaguerreotype,orCalotypeprocess,anyobjectshighlycolored——blue,redandyellow,forinstancepredominating——
thelastofcoursereflectsthemostlight,thebluetheleast;
buttheraysfromthebluesurfacewillmakethemostintenseimpression,whilsttheredradiationsareworkingveryslowly,andtheyellowremainsentirelyinactive。Thisaccountsforthedifficultyexperiencedincopyingbrightgreenfoliage,orwarmlycoloredportraits;alargeportionoftheyellowandredraysenteringintothecompositionofboth——
andtheimperfectionsofaDaguerreotypeportraitofapersonwithafreckledfacedependsuponthesamecause。
Ayellow,hazyatmosphere,evenwhenthelightisverybright,willeffectuallypreventanygoodphotographicresult——
andintheheightofsummer,withthemostsensativeprocess,itnotunfrequentlyhappensthatthemostanoyingfailuresarisefromthisagencyofayellowmedium。Abuildingpaintedofayellowcolor,whichmayreflectthesun’sraysdirectlyintotheoperator’sroomwillhavethesameeffect。
Daguerreotypists,beingignorantofthesefacts,areveryapttochargetheirwantofsuccesstotheplates,orchemicals,oranythingbuttherealcause;anditwouldbewelltobearthesefactsconstantlyinmindandasfaraspossibleavoidthem。
This,maybeaccomplished,inameasure,byachoiceoflocationorbyhavingtheglassofyourwindowstingedwithblue;orascreenofthinbluepapermaybeinterposedbetweenthelightandsitter。
Inselectingsubjects,allstrikingcontrastsincolorshouldbeavoided,andsittersforportraitsshouldbecautionednottowearanythingthatmayproducetheeffectspokenof——
darkdressesalwaysbeingthebest。
Theactionoflightbothcombinesanddecomposesbodies。
Forinstance,chlorineandhydrogenwillremaininaglassvesselwithoutalterationifkeptinthedark;butifexposedtotheraysofthesun,theyimmediatelyenterintocombination,andproducehydrochloricacid。
Ontheotherhand,ifcolorlessnitricacidbeexposedtothesun,itbecomesyellow,thenchangestored,andoxygenisliberatedbythepartialdecompositioneffectedbythesolarrays。
Oftheorganicsubstancesnonearemorereadilyacteduponbylightthanthevariouscombinationsofsilver。
Ofthesesomearemore,andotherslesssensitive。IfChlorideofsilver,whichisawhiteprecipitateformedbyaddingchlorideofsodium(commonsalt)
toasolutionofnitrateofsilver,beexposedtodiffusedlight,itspeedilyassumesaviolettint,andultimatelybecomesnearlyblack。
Withiodideofsilver,bromideofsilver,ammonio-nitrateofsilver,andothersaltsofthismetal,theresultwillbemuchthesame。
Somebodies,whichundertheinfluenceoflight,undergochemicalchanges,havethepowerofrestoringthemselvestotheiroriginalconditioninthedark。Thisismoreremarkablydisplayedintheiodideofplatinum,whichreadilyrecievesaphotogenicimagebydarkeningovertheexposedsurfaces,butspeedilylosesitbybleachinginthedark。
TheioduretofDaguerre’splate,andsomeotheriodides,exhibitthesamepeculiarity——Thisleadsustothestrikingfact,thatbodieswhichhaveundergoneachangeofestateundertheinfluenceofday-lighthavesomelatentpowerbywhichtheycanrenovatethemselves。
Possiblythehoursofnightareasnecessarytoinanimatenatureastheyaretotheanimate。Duringtheday,anexcitementwhichwedonotheed,unlessinastateofdisease,ismaintainedbytheinfluenceoflightandthehoursofrepose,duringwhichtheequilibriumisrestored,areabsolutelynecessarytothecontinuanceofhealth。
Insteadofafewchemicalcompoundsofgoldandsilver,whichatfirstwerealonesupposedtobephotographic,wearenowawarethatcopper,platinum,lead,nikel,andindeed,probablyalltheelements,areequallyliablytochangeunderthesun’sinfluence。Thisfactmaybeofbenefittoengravers,forifsteelcanbemadetotakephotographicimpressions,themorelaboriousprocessofetchingmaybedispensedwith。
Infact,inthelatterpartofthiswork,aprocessisdescribedforetchingandtakingprintedimpressionsfromDaguerreotypeplates。
Asyetthisprocesshasproducednodecidedbeneficialresults——
butfutureexperimentsmayaccomplishsomepracticaldiscoveryofintrinsicvaluetotheartofengraving。
Averysimpleexperimentwillprovehowessentiallightistothecoloringofthevariousspeciescomprisingthevegetableandanimalkingdoms。
Ifwetransplantanyshrubfromthelightofdayintoadarkcellar,wewillsoonseeitloseitsbrightgreencolor,andbecomeperfectlywhite。
Anothereffectoflightisthatitappearstoimparttobodiessomepowerbywhichtheymorereadilyenterintochemicalcombinationwithothers。
Wehavealreadysaidthatchlorineandhydrogen,ifkeptinthedark,willremainunaltered;butifthechlorinealonebepreviouslyexposedtothesun,thechlorinethussolarisedwillunitewiththehydrogeninthedark。
Sulphateofironwillthrowdowngoldorsilverfromtheirsolutionsslowlyinthedark;butifeithersolutionbefirstexposedtosunshine,andthemixturebethenmade,inthedark,theprecipitationtakesplaceinstantly。
Hereisagain,evidenceofeitheranabsorptionofsomematerialagentfromthesunbeam,oranalterationinthechemicalconstitutionofthebody。
ItwasfromunderstandingtheseprinciplesandapplyingthemthatphilosopherswereenabledtoproducetheCalotype,Daguerreotype,&c。Fortheeffectsandactionoflightonthecamera,seeChapterV。
SomeadvanceshavebeenmadetowardsproducingPhotographicimpressionsincolor——theimpossibilityofwhichsomeofourbestandoldestartistshavemostpertinaciouslymaintained。
Thecoloredimageofthespectrumhasbeenmostfaithfullycopied,rayforray,onpaperspreadwiththejuiceoftheCochorusJaponica,(aspeciesofplant)andthefluorideofsilver;
andonsilverplatecoveredwithathinfilmofchloride。
Thedaymaybestillremotewhenthismuchtobedesireddecideratumshallbeaccomplishedinportraittaking;
butIamledtohopethatfutureexperimentsmaymasterthesecretwhichnowcausesittobelookedupon,bymany,asanimpossibility。
Thatgreatadvantageshaveresulted,andthatgreaterstillwillresultfromthediscoveryofthePhotographicart,fewwilldeny。
Thefaithfulmannerinwhichitcopiesnature,eventothemostminutedetails,rendersitofmuchvaluetothepainter;butafewminutessufficingtotakeaviewthatformerlywouldhaveoccupiedseveraldays。
Itssuperiorityinportraits,overminiatureoroilpaintinghasbeentacitlyacknowledgedbythethousandswhoemployittosecuretheirown,orafriendslikeness,andbythesteadyincreaseinthenumberofartistswhoareweekly,ayedailyspringingupineverytownandvillageintheland。
CHAP。III。
SYNOPSISOFMR。HUNT’STREATISEON\"THEINFLUENCEOFTHE
SOLARRAYSONCOMPOUNDBODIES,WITHESPECIALREFERENCETO
THEIRPHOTOGRAPHICAPPLICATION。\"
OXIDEOFSILVERexposedforafewhourstogoodsunshine,passesintoamoredecidedolivecolor,thancharacterisesitwhenfirstpreparedbyprecipitationfromnitrateofsilver。
Longerexposurerendersthiscolorverymuchlighter,andthecoveredparts,arefoundmuchdarker,thanthoseonwhichthelighthasacteddirectly。Insomeinstanceswheretheoxideofsilverhasbeenspreadonthepaperadecidedwhiteningprocessinsomeparts,afterafewdaysexposure,isnoticed。
Oxideofsilverdisolvedinammoniaisavaluablephotographicfluid;
oneapplicationofastrongsolutionforminganexceedinglysensitivesurface。Thepicturesonthispaperareeasilyfixedbysaltorweakammonia。
NITRATEOFSILVER。——Thissaltinastateofpurity,doesnotappeartobesensiblyaffectedbylight,butthepresenceofthesmallestportionoforganicmatterrendersitexceedinglyliabletochangeunderluminousinfluence。
Ifapieceofnitratedpaperisplaceduponhotiron,orheldnearthefire,itwillbefoundthatataheatjustbelowthatatwhichthepaperchars,thesaltisdecomposed。
Wheretheheatisgreatest,thesilverisrevived,andimmediatelyaroundit,thepaperbecomesadeepblue;
beyondthisaprettydecidedgreencolorresults,andbeyondthegreen,ayelloworyellowbrownstainismade。
Thisexhibitsaremarkableanalogybetweenheatandlight,——
beforespokenofinchap。II——andisofsomepracticalimportanceinthepreparationofthepaper。
PRISMATICANALYSIS。——Themethodofaccomplishingtheprismaticdecompositionofraysoflightbythespectrumhasalreadybeendescribedonpages22
and23。Thecoloroftheimpressedspectrum,onpaperwashedwithnitrateofsilver,isatfirst,apalebrown,whichpassesslowlyintoadeepershade;
thatportioncorrespondingwiththeblueraysbecomingabluebrown;
andunderthevioletofapeculiarpinkeyshade,averydecidedgreentint,onthepointwhichcorrespondswiththeleastrefrangiblebluerays,maybeobserved,itslimitsofactionbeingnearthecentreoftheyellowray,anditsmaximumaboutthecentreoftheblue,althoughtheactionuptotheedgeofthevioletrayiscontinuedwithverylittlediminutionofeffect;
beyondthispointtheactionisveryfeeble。
Whenthespectrumismadetoactonpaperwhichhasbeenpreviouslydarkened,byexposuretosunshineundercupro-sulphateofammonia,thephenomenaaremateriallydifferent。
Thephotographicspectrumislengthenedoutontheredornegativesidebyafaintbutveryvisibleredportion,whichextendsfullyuptotheendoftheredrays,asseenbythenakedeye。
Thetintofthegeneralspectrum,too,insteadofbrownisdarkgrey,passing,however,atitsmostrefractedorpositiveendintoaruddybrown。
InitsPhotographicapplication,thenitrateofsilveristhemostvaluableofthesaltsofthatmetal,asfromitmostoftheotherargentinecompoundscanbeprepared,althoughitisnotofitselfsufficientlysensibletolighttorenderitofmuchuse。
CHLORIDEOFSILVER。——Thissaltofsilver,whetherinitsprecipitatedstate,orwhenfused,changesitscolortoafinebluishgreybyaveryshortexposuretothesun’srays。
Ifcombinedwithasmallquantityofnitrate,thechangeismorerapid,itattainsadeepbrown,thenslowlypassesintoafineolive,andeventually,afterafewweeks,themetalicsilverisseentoberevivedonthesurfaceofthesalt。
Greatdifferencesofcolorareproducedonchloridesofsilverprecipitatedbydifferentmuriates。Nearlyeveryvarietyincombinationwiththenitrate,becomesatlastofthesameolivecolor,thefollowingexamples,therefore,havereferencetoafewminutesexposure,only,togoodsunshine;itmustalsoberecollectedthatthechlorideofsilverinthesecasesiscontaminatedwiththeprecipitant。
Muriateofammoniaprecipitateschloridetodarkentoafinechocolatebrown,whilstmuriateoflimeproducesabrick-redcolor。
Muriatesofpotashandsodaaffordaprecipitate,whichdarkensspeedlytoapuredarkbrown,andmuriaticacid,oraqueouschlorine,donotappeartoincreasethedarkeningpowerbeyondthelilactowhichthepurechlorideofsilverchangesbyexposure。
Thisdifferenceofcolorappearstobeowingtotheadmixtureoftheearthoralkaliusedwiththesilversalt。
Theprismaticimpressiononpaperspreadwiththechlorideofsilverisoftenverybeautifullytinted,theintensityofcolorvaryingwiththekindofmuriateused。Spreadpaperwithmuriateofammoniaorbarytaandyouobtainarangeofcolorsnearlycorrespondingwiththenaturalhuesoftheprismaticspectrum。
Underfavorablecircumstancesthemeanredray,leavesaredimpression,whichpassesintoagreenoverthespaceoccupiedbytheyellowrays。
Abovethisaleadenhueisobserved,andaboutthemeanblueray,wheretheactionisgreatest,itrapidlypassesthroughbrownintoblack,andthroughthemostrefrangibleraysitgraduallydeclinesintoabluishbrown,whichtintiscontinuedthroughouttheinvisiblerays。Attheleastrefrangibleendofthespectrum,theveryremarkablephenomenonhasbeenobserved,oftheextremeredraysexertingaprotectinginfluence,andpreservingthepaperfromthatchange,whichitwouldotherwiseundergo,undertheinfluenceofthedispersedlightwhichalwayssurroundsthespectrum。
Notonlytheextremeredrayexertsthisverypeculiarproperty,buttheordinaryredraythroughnearlyitswholelength。
Inphotographicdrawingthissaltisoftheutmostimportance。
Mr。Talbot’sapplicationofitwillbegivenhereafterinanotherportionofthiswork。
IODIDEOFSILVER——Perfectlypure,undergoesverylittlechangeundertheinfluenceoflightorheat;butifaveryslightexcessofthenitrateofsilverbeaddeditbecomesinfinitelymoresenitivethanthechlorideThespectrumimpresseduponpaperpreparedwithaweaksolutionofthehydriodateofpotashpresentssomeveryremarkablepeculiarities。
Themaximumofintensityisfoundattheedgeofthemostrefrangiblevioletrays,oralittlebeyondit,varyingslightlyaccordingtothekindofpaperused,andthequantityoffreenitrateofsilverpresent。
Theactioncommencesatapointnearlycoincidentwiththemeanredoftheluminousspectrum,whereitgivesadullashorleadcolor,whilethemostrefrangibleraysimpressaruddysnuff-brown,thechangeoftintcomingonrathersuddenlyabouttheendoftheblueorbeginningofthevioletraysoftheluminousspectrum。
Beyondtheextremevioletrays,theactionrapidlydiminishes,butthedarkeningproducedbytheseinvisiblerays,extendsaverysmallspacebeyondthepointatwhichtheyceasetoactonthechlorideofsilver。
Initsphotographicapplication,itis,alone,ofverylittleuse;
butincombinationwithotherreagentsitbecomesexquisitelysensitive。
Withgallicacidandtheferrocyanateofpotashitformstwoofthemostsensitivephotographicsolutionswithwhichweareacquainted。
Theseareusedinthecalotypeprocess。
IODURETOFSILVER。——Ifuponaplateofpolishedsilverweplaceasmallpieceofiodine,andapplytheheatofalampbeneaththeplateforamoment,asystemofringsisspeedilyformed。
Thefirstring,whichspreadingconstantlyformstheexteriorofthecircle,isofabrightyellowcolor;withinthis,therearises,sucessively,ringsofgreen,redandbluecolors,andthenagainafineyellowcircle,centredbyagreyishspotontheplaceoccupiedbytheiodine。Onexposingthesetothelight,theouteryellowcirclealmostinstantlychangescolor,theothersslowly,intheorderoftheirposition,theinterioryellowcircleresistingforalongtimethesolarinfluence。
Theseringsmustberegardedasfilmsoftheioduretofsilver,varying,notonlyinthickness,butinthemoreorlessperfectstatesofcombinationinwhichtheiodineandmetalare。
Theexteriorcircleisanioduretinaveryloosestateofchemicalagregation;theattractiveforcesincreaseasweproceedtowardsthecentre,whereawellformedioduret,orprobablyatrueiodideofsilver,isformed,whichisacteduponbysunlightwithdifficulty。TheexteriorandmostsensitivefilmconstitutesthesurfaceofDaguerreotypeplates。
Thechangeswhichthesecoloredringsundergoareremarkable;
byafewminutesexposuretosunlight,aninversionofnearlyallthecolorstakesplace,thetwofirstringsbecomingadeepolivegreen;andadeepblueincliningtoblack。