ThenatureofthechangewhichtheioduretofsilverundergoesonDaguerreotypeplates,throughtheactionoflight,Mr。Huntconsiderstobeadecidedcaseofdecomposition,andcitesseveralcircumstancesinproofofhisposition。
ThesewithotherfactsgivenbyMr。HuntinhisgreatworkonthePhotographicart,buttovolumnioustoincludeinavolumeofthesizetowhichIamobligedtocofinemyself,shouldbethoroughlystudiedbyallDaguerreotypists。
PRISMATICANALYSIS。——Themostrefrangibleportionofthespectrum,(onaDaguerreotypeplate)appears,aftertheplatehasbeenexposedtothevaporofmercury,tohaveimpresseditscolors;
thelightanddelicatefilmofmercury,whichcoversthatportion,assumingafinebluetintaboutthecentralparts,whicharegraduallyshadedoffintoapalegrey;andthisisagainsurroundedbyaverydelicaterosehue,whichislostinabandofpurewhite。
Beyondthisaprotectinginfluenceispowerfullyexerted;
andnotwithstandingtheactionofthedispersedlight,whichisveryevidentovertheplate,alineisleft,perfectlyfreefrommercurialvapor,andwhich,consequently,whenviewedbyasidelight,appearsquitedark。
Thegreenraysarerepresentedbyalineofacorrespondingtint,considerablylessinsizethantheluminousgreenrays。
Theyellowraysappeartobewithoutaction,ortoactnegatively,thespaceuponwhichtheyfallbeingprotectedfromthemercurialvapor;anditconsequentlyisseenasadarkband。
Awhitelineofvapormarkstheplaceoftheorangerays。
Theredrayseffectthesensitivesurfaceinapeculiarmanner;
andwehavethemercurialvapor,assumingamoleculararrangementwhichgivestoitafinerosehue;thistintissurroundedbyalineofwhitevapor,shadedatthelowestextremitywithaverysoftgreen。Overthespaceoccupiedbytheextremeredrays,aprotectinginfluenceisagainexerted;thespaceisretainedfreefrommercurialvaporandthebandisfoundtosurroundthewholeoftheleastrefrangiblerays,andtouniteitselfwiththebandwhichsurroundstheraysofgreatestrefrangibility。
Thisbandisnotequallywelldefinedthroughoutitswholeextent。
Itismostevidentfromtheextremeredtothegreen;
itfadesinpassingthroughtheblue,andincreasesagain,asitleavestheindigo,untilbeyondtheinvisiblechemicalraysitisnearlyasstrongasitisatthecalorificendofthespectrum。
ImagesonDaguerreotypeplateswhichhavebeencompletelyobliteratedbyrubbingmayberestored,byplacingitinatolerablystrongsolutionofiodineinwater。
BROMIDEOFSILVER。——Thissalt,liketheiodide,doesnotappeartobereadilychangedbytheactionoflight;butwhencombinedwiththenitrateofsilveritformsaverysensitivephotographicpreparation。
Paperpreparedwiththissalt,blackensoveritswholeextentwithnearlyequalintensity,whensubmittedtotheprismaticspectrum。Themostcharacteristicpeculiarityofthespectrumisitsextravagantlength。
Insteadofterminatingatthemeanyellowray,thedarkenedportionextendsdowntotheveryextremityofthevisibleredrays。
Intintitisprettyuniformlyofagrey-blackoveritswholeextent,exceptthataslightfringeofrednessisperceptibleattheleastrefractedend。Beyondtheredray,anextendedspaceisprotectedfromtheagencyofthedispersedlight,anditswhitenessmaintained;
thusconfirmingtheevidenceofsomechemicalpowerinaction,overaspacebeyondtheluminousspectrum,whichcorrespondswiththeraysoftheleastrefrangibility。
Thissaltisextensivelyusedinphotographicdrawing。
PREPARATIONSOFGOLD。——ChlorideofGold,freedfromanexcessofacidisslowlychangedundertheactionoflight;
aregularlyincreasingdarknesstakingplaceuntilitbecomespurple,thefirstactionofthelightbeingtowhitenthepaper,which,ifremovedfromthelightatthisstage,willgraduallydarkenandeventuallydevelopethepicture。
Thisprocessmaybequickenedbyplacingthepaperincoldwater。
Chlorideofgoldwithnitrateofsilvergivesaprecipitateofayellowbrowncolor。Paperimpregnatedwiththeacetateoflead,whenwashedwithperfectlyneutralchlorideofgold,acquiresabrownish-yellowhue。
Thefirstimpressionoflightseemsrathertowhitenthandarkenthepaper,bydischargingtheoriginalcolor,andsubstitutingforitapalegreyishtint,whichbyslowdegreesincreasestoadarkslatecolor;
butifarrested,whileyet,notmorethanamoderateashgrey,andheldinacurrentofsteam,thecolorofthepartsacteduponbylight——
andofthatonly——darkensimmediatelytoadeeppurple。
HereImustleavethesubjectoftheactionoflightuponmetaliccompounds——
referringtoMr。Huntsworkforanyfurtherinformationthestudentmaydesireontheothermetals——asIfindmyselfgoingbeyondmylimits。
Icannot,however,entirelydismissthesubjectwithoutgivingafewexamplesoftheactionoflightonthejuicesofplants,someofwhichproduceverygoodphotographiceffect。
CORCHORUSJAPONICA——Thejuiceoftheflowersofthisplantimpartafineyellowcolortopaper,and,sofarasascertained,isthemostsensitiveofanyvegetablepreparation;
butowingtoitscontinuingtochangecoloreveninthedark,photographicimagestakenonpaperpreparedwithitsoonfadeout。
WALLFLOWER。——Thisfloweryieldsajuice,whenexpressedwithalcohol,fromwhichsubsides,onstanding,abrightyellowfinelydividedfaecula,leavingagreenish-yellowtransparentliquid,onlyslightlycoloredsupernatant。
Thefaeculaspreadswellonpaper,andisverysensitivetolight,butappearsatthesametimetoundergoasortofchromaticanalysis,andtocomportitselfasifcomposedoftwoverydistinctcoloringprinciples,verydifferentlyaffected。Theoneonwhichtheintensityandsub-orangetintofthecolordepends,isspeedilydestroyed,butthepaperisnottherebyfullywhitened。
Apaleryellowremainsasaresidualtint,andthisoncontinuedexposuretothelight,slowlydarkenstobrown。
Exposedtothespectrum,thepaperisfirstreducednearlytowhitenessintheregionoftheblueandvioletrays。
Moreslowly,aninsulatedsolarimageiswhitenedinthelessrefrangibleportionofthered。Continuetheexposure,andabrownimpressionbeginstobepercievedinthemidstofthewhitestreak,whichdarkensslowlyovertheregionbetweenthelowerblueandextremevioletrays。
THEREDPOPPYyieldsaverybeautifulredcolor,whichisentirelydestroyedbylight。Whenperfectlydriedonpaperthecolorbecomesblue。
Thisbluecolorisspeedilydischargedbyexposuretothesun’srays,andpaperspreparedwithitaffordveryinterestingphotographs。——
Futureexperimentswillundoubtedlymorefullydevelopethephotogenicpropertiesofflowers,andpracticallyapplythem。
Certainprecautionsarenecessaryinextractingthecoloringmatterofflowers。Thepetalsoffreshflowers,carefullyselected,arecrushedtoapulpinamortar,eitheraloneorwiththeadditionofalittealcohol,andthejuiceexpressedbysqueezingthepulpinacleanlinenorcottoncloth。Itisthentobespreaduponpaperwithaflatbrush,anddriedintheair。
Ifalcoholbenotadded,itmustbeappliedimmediately,astheairchangesordestroysthecolorinstantly。
Mostflowersgiveouttheircoloringmattertoalcoholorwater——
buttheformerisfoundtoweaken,andinsomecasestodischargealtogetherthesecolors;buttheyareinmostcasesrestoredindrying。
Papertingedwithvegetablecolorsmustbekeptperfectlydryandindarkness。
Tosecureanevenessoftintonpaperitshouldbefirstmoistenedonthebackbysponging,andblottingoffwithbibulouspaper。Itshouldthenbepinnedonaboard,themoistsidedownwards,sothattwoofitsedges——
therightandlowerones——projectalittleoverthoseoftheboard。
Inclinetheboardtwentyorthirtydegreestothehorizon,andapplythetincturewithabrushinstrokesfromrighttoleft,takingcarenottogoovertheedgeswhichrestsontheboard,buttopassclearlyoverthosethatproject;andalsoobservingtocarrythetintfrombelowupwardsbyquicksweepingstrokes,leavingnodryspacesbetweenthem。Crossthesewithotherstrokesfromabovedownwards,leavingnofloatingliquidonthepaper。
Dryasquicklyaspossible,avoiding,however,suchheatasmayinjurethetintCHAP。IV。
AFEWHINTSANDSUGGESTIONSTODAGUERREOTYPISTS。
ThereareveryfewwhomaynotbecapableofpractisingthePhotographicart,eitheronpaper,ormetalicplates——but,likeallotherprofessions,somearemorecleverinitsvariousprocessesthanothers。
Impatienceisagreatdrawbacktoperfectsuccess,andcombinedwithlazinessisadecidedenemy。Besidesthis,noonecanexcelinPhotographywhodoesnotpossessanaturaltasteforthefinearts,whoisnotquickindiscerninggraceandbeauty——isregardlessoftheprinciplesofperspective,foreshortingandotherrulesofdrawing,andwhosetsaboutitmerelyforthesakeofgain——withouttheleastambitiontorisetothefirstrank,bothinitspracticeandtheory。
Thereisnoprofessionortradeinwhichaslovenlymannerwillnotshowitself,andnonewhereitseffectswillbemoreapparentthanthis。
Inordertobegreatinanypursuit,wemustbeourselves,andkeepallthings,inorder。Inyourshowandreceptionrooms,letneatnessprevail;haveyourspecimenssoplaced——
leaningslightlyforward——astoobtainthestrongestlightuponthem,andatthesametimepreventthatglassinessofapearancewhichdetractssomateriallyfromtheeffecttheyareintendedtoproduce。Ifpossible,letthelightbeofanorth-westernaspect,mellowedbycurtainsofasemitransparenthue。
Yourshow-cases,atthedoor,shouldbekeptwellcleaned。
Ihaveoftenbeendisgustedwhileattemptingtoexamineportraitsinthecasesofourartists,atthegreasycoatingandmarksofdirtyfingersupontheglassandframeenclosingthem。
Believeit,manyagoodcustomerislostfornootherreason。
Inyouroperatingroom,dustshouldbecarefullyexcluded。
Itshouldbefurnishedwithnothingapttocollectandretaindust;
acarpetisthereforenotonlyauselessarticle,butveryimproper。
Abareflooristobeprefered;butifyoumustcoveritusematting。
Thereisnoplaceaboutyourestablishmentwheregreatercareshouldbetakentohaveorderandcleanliness;foritwillpreventmanyfailuresoftenattributedtoothercauses。
\"Aplaceforeverything,andeverythinginitsplace,\"shouldbeanabsolutemaximwithallartists。Donotobligetheladies,ongoingawayfromyourrooms,tosay——\"ThatH。isaslovenlyman;
seehowmydressisruinedbysittingdowninachairthatlookedasifithadjustcomeoutofaporterhousekitchenandhadnotbeencleanedforsixmonths。\"
Inchoosingyouroperatingroom,obtainonewithanorth-westernaspect,ifpossible;andeitherwith,orcapableofhavingattached,alargeskylight。Goodpicturesmaybetakenwithoutthesky-light,butnotthemostpleasingoreffective。
Averyimportantpointtobeobserved,istokeepthecameraperfectlyfreefromdust。Theoperatorshouldbecarefultoseethattheslightestparticleberemoved,fortheactofinsertingtheplate-holderwillsetitinmotion,ifleft,andcausethoselittleblackspotsontheplate,bywhichanotherwisegoodpictureisspoiled。Thecamerashouldbesoplacedastopreventthesunshiningintothelenses。
Intakingportraits,theconformationofthesittershouldbeminutelystudiedtoenableyoutoplaceherorhiminapositionthemostgracefulandeasytobeobtained。Theeyesshouldbefixedonsomeobjectalittleabovethecamera,andtooneside——butneverinto,orontheinstrument,assomedirect;thelattergenerallygivesafixed,silly,staring,scowlingorpainfulexpressiontotheface。
Careshouldalsobetaken,thatthehandsandfeet,inwhateverposition,arenottooforwardorbackwardfromthefacewhenthatisingoodfocusIfanylargesurfaceofwhiteispresent,suchastheshirtfront,orlady’shandkerchief,apieceofdarkcloth(atemporarybosomofnankeenisbest,)maybeputoverit,butquicklywithdrawnwhentheprocessisabouttwothirdsfinished。
Averypleasingeffectisgiventoportraits,byintroducing,behindthesitter,anengravingorotherpicture——ifapainting,avoidthoseinwhichwarmandglowingtintspredominate。
Thesubjectofthesepicturesmaybeapplicabletothetasteoroccupationofthepersonwhoseportraityouaretaking。
Thisaddsmuchtotheinterestofthepicture,whichisotherwisefrequentlydull,coldandinanimate。
Mr。J。H。WhitehurstofRichmond,Va。,hasintroducedarevolvingbackground,whichissetinmotionduringtheoperation,andproducesadistinctnessandboldnessintheimagenototherwisetobeobtained。
Theeffectuponthebackgroundoftheplateisequallypleasing;
ithavingtheappearanceofabeautifullycloudedsky。
InpractisingPhotographicdrawingonpaper,thestudentmustbearinmindthatitispositivelyessential,tosecuresuccessinthevariousprocesses,tousetheutmostprecautioninspreadingthesolutions,andwashesfromthecombinationofwhichthesensitivesurfacesresult。Thesamebrushshouldalwaysbeusedforthesamesolution,andneverusedforanyother,andalwayswashedincleanwaterafterhavingbeenemployed。
Anymetalicmountingonthebrushesshouldbeavoided,asthemetalprecipitatesthesilverfromitssolution。
Thebrushesshouldbemadeofcamelsorbadger’shairandsufficientlybroadandlargetocoverthepaperintwoorthreesweeps;
forifsmallonesbeemployed,manystrokesmustbegiven,whichleavecorrespondingstreaksthatwillbecomevisiblewhensubmittedtolight,andspoilthepicture。
Thesefewpreliminaryhintsandsuggestions,will,Itrust,beofsomeservicetoallwhoadoptthispleasingartasaprofession;
andwill,withadueattentiontothedirectionsgiveninthepracticalworkingoftheDaguerreotype,Calotype,etc。,ensureacorrespondingmeasureofsuccess。
CHAP。V。
DAGUERREOTYPEAPPARATUS。
TheentireDaguerreotypeprocessiscomprisedinsevendistinctoperations;viz:
1。——Cleaningandpolishingtheplate。
2。——Applyingthesensitivecoating。
3——Submittingtheplatetotheactionoflightinthecamera。
4。——Bringingoutthepicture;inotherwordsrenderingitvisible。
5。——Fixingtheimage,ormakingitperminent——sothatthelightmaynolongeractuponit。
6。——Gilding:orcoveringthepicturewithathinfilmofgold——
whichnotonlyprotectsit,butgreatlyimprovesitsdistinctnessandtoneofcolor。
7。——Coloringthepicture。
Forthesevariousoperationsthefollowingarticles——
whichmakeuptheentireapparatusofaDaguerreanartist——
mustbeprocured1。——THECAMERA。——(Fig。5。)。TheCameraObscuraoftheItalianphilosophers,althoughhighlyappreciated,onaccountofthemagicalcharacterofthepicturesitproduced,remainedlittleotherthanascientifictoy,untilthediscoveryofM。Daguerre。
Thevalueofthisinstrumentisnowgreat,andtheinterestoftheprocesswhichitsoessentiallyaids,universallyadmitted。
Afulldescriptionofitwillthereforebeinteresting。
[hipho_5。gif]
Thecameraisadarkbox(a),havingatubewithlenses(b)placedinoneendofit,throughwhichtheradiationsfromexternalobjectspass,andformadiminishedpictureuponthegroundglass(g)placedattheproperdistanceintheboxtoreceiveit;
thecapccoveringthelensesatbuntiltheplateisreadytoreceivetheimageoftheobjecttobecopied。
Thusa(fig。6。)representingthelens,andbtheobjectdesiredtoberepresented,therays(c,c)proceedingfromitfalluponthelens,andaretransmittedtoapoint,whichvarieswiththecurvatureoftheglass,whereaninvertedimage(d)ofbisveryaccuratelyformed。
Atthispoint,termedthefocus,thesensitivephotographicmaterialisplacedforthepurposeofobtainingtherequiredpicture。
Thegreatdisideratuminaphotographiccameraisperfectlenses。
Theyshouldbeachromatic,andtheutmost[hipho_6。gif]
transparencyshouldbeobtained;andundertheclosestinspectionoftheglassnottheslightestwavyappearance,ordarkspotshouldbedetected;andacurvaturewhichasmuchaspossiblepreventssphericalaberrationshouldbesecured。
Theeffectproducedbythislastdefectisaconvergenceofperpendiculars,asforinstance;twotowersofanybuilding,wouldberepresentedasleaningtowardseachother;andinaportraitthefeatureswouldseemcontracted,distortedandmingledtogether,soastothrowthepictureoutofdrawingandmakeitlookmorelikeacaricaturethanalikeness。
Ifthelensbenotachromatic,achromaticaberrationtakesplace,whichproducesanindistinct,hazyappearancearoundtheedgesofthepicture,arisingfromtheblendingoftherays。
Thediameterandfocallengthofalensmustdependinagreatmeasureonthedistanceoftheobject,andalsoonthesuperficiesoftheplateorpapertobecovered。Forportraitsoneof11/2inchesdiameter,andfrom41/2to51/2inchesfocusmaybeused;butfordistantviews,onefrom2inchesto3inchesdiameter,andfrom8to12inchesfocallengthwillanswermuchbetter。Forsinglelenses,theapertureinfrontshouldbeplacedatadistancefromit,correspondingtothediameter,andofasizenotmorethanonethirdofthesame。
Avarietyofmovablediaphramsorcaps,tocovertheapertureinfront,areveryuseful,astheintensityofthelightmaybemodifiedbythemandmoreorlessdistinctnessandclearnessofdelineationobtained。
ThesecapsalwaycomewithVoitlanderinstrumentsandshouldbesecuredbythepurchaser。
Thoughthesingleacromaticlensanswersverywellforcopyingengravings;
takingviewsfromnatureorart,forportraitsthedoubleshouldalwaysbeused。Theextensivemanufactureofthemostapprovedcameras,bothinEuropeandinthiscountry,obviatesallnecessityforanyoneattemptingtoconstructonefortheirownuse。Lensesarenowmadesoperfectbysomeartisansthat,whatiscalledthe\"quickworkingcamera\"
willtakeapictureinonesecond,whiletheordinarycamerasrequirefromeighttosixty。
ThecamerainmostgeneraluseisthatmanufacturedbyVoitlanderandSonofGermany。Theirsmallsizeconsistsoftwoseperateacromaticlenses;
thefirst,orexternalone,hasafreeapertureof11/2inches;thesecond,orinternal,15/8inches;andbothhavethesamefocus,viz:53/4inches。
Thelargersizediffersfromthesmaller。Theinnerlensisanachromatic31/4inchesdiameter,itsfocallengthbeing30inches。Theouterlensisameniscus——thatisboundedbyaconcaveandconvexsphericalsurfacewhichmeet——havingafocallengthof18inches。Foreverydistantview,theapertureinfrontiscontractedbyadiaphramto1/8ofaninch。
Bythismeansthelightisreflectedwithconsiderableintensityandtheclearnessandcorrectnessofthepicturesaretrulysurprising。
THEAMERICAinstrumentsareconstructedonthesameprincipleandmanyofthemareequallyperfect。Mr。EdwardAnthonyof205Broadway,NewYorkcity,hasconstructed,andsoldcamerasfullyequaltotheGermanandforwhichVoitlanderinstrumentshavebeenrefusedinexchangebythepurchaser。
Theordinarycamerabox(seefig。5,a)variesinsizetosuitthetube,andistermedmedium,half,orwhole。
Withintheboxisaslidetoassistinregulatingthefocus,andinenlargingordiminishingthepicture。Inoneendofthisslideisaspringedgrooveintowhichtheground-glassspectrum(gfig。5)isslid,forthepurposeofmoreconvenientlyarrangingthefocus。Aftertheplateisprepareditisplacedintheholder——
partlyseenate,fig。5,andcoveredwiththedarkslidef,fig。5;
thespectrumisthenwithdrawnandtheholdertakesitsplace,andthelidsd,d,areclosedafterremovingthedarkslidef。
Theplateisnowreadytoreceivetheimage,andthecapcmayberemovedtoadmitthelightintothebox。
AcameraconstructedbyVoitlanderisthusdescribedbyMr。Fisher。
\"Itismadeentirelyofbrass,sothatvariationsofclimatehasnoeffectuponit。Itisveryportableandwhenpackedinitsbox,withallthenecessaryapparatusandmaterialsforpractisingtheDaguerreotypeart,occupiesbutverylittlespace。
Itisnot,however,welladaptedfortheCalotypeprocess。\"
\"ThebrassfootA(fig。7。),isplacedonatable,orotherfirmsupport,andthepillarB。screwedintoit;thebodyofthecamera,C,CislaidintothedoubleforkedbearingD。D。Theinstrumentisnowproperlyadjustedbymeansofthesetscrews,e,e,e,inthebrassfoot,oritmayberaised,lowered,ormoved,bythetelescopestand,andwhencorrect,fixedbythescrewb。Thelandscapetobedelineatedisviewedeitherthroughthe[hipho_7。gif]
smalllens,g,orwiththenakedeyeonthegroundglassplateH,thefocusbeingadjustedbythescrewI。Theopticalpartoftheinstrumentconsistofthesmallsetofachromaticlensesalreadydescribed。
Whentheportraitorviewisdeleniatedonthegroundglasstotheentiresatisfactionoftheoperator,thebrasscapLisplacedoverthelens,andtheentirebodyisremovedawayintothedark,takingcarenottodisturbthepositionofthestand。
ThebodyisnowdetachedatthepartH,andthepreparedpaperorplateenclosedinthebrassframeworkintroducedinitsplace;
thewholeisagainplaceduponthepedestal,thebrasscapLisremoved,bywhichthepaperorplateisexposedtothefullinfluenceofthelight,afterwhichthecapisagainreplaced。
Mr。Woodbridge,ofthiscity,hasconstructedaninstrumentfortakingfulllengthportraitsonplates10by13inches,whichisworthyofsomenotice。
Itisadoublecamera,consistingoftwoboxes,placedinaframe,oneabovetheother,andsoarrangedastoslideeasilyupanddown。
Afterthefocushasbeenadjusted,ontheobject,inbothcameras,theplateisputintotheupperbox,inthemanneralreadydescribed,untilthesuperiorportionofthefigureiscomplete;itisthenplacedinthesecondboxandthelowerextremitiesobtained。
Theadjustmentoftheinstrumentissocompletethat[hipho_8。gif]
aperfectunionofthepartsiseffectedinthepicturewithouttheleastpossiblelineofdemarkationbeingvisible。Fig。8givesafrontviewofthisinstrument。
Fig。9representsTalbot’sCalotypeCamera,——averybeautifulinstrument。
Thecopyingcameraboxhasanextraslideinthebackend,bywhichitmaybeconsiderablylengthenedatpleasure。
II。——CAMERASTAND。——Thebestconstructedstandsaremadeofmapleorblackwallnutwood,havingacastironsocket(a,fig。12,)throughwhichtheslidingrodbpasses,andintowhichthelegsc,c,withironscrewferulesareinserted。
Theplatformdismadeoftwopieces,hingedtogether,asate,andhavingathumbscrewforthepurposeofelevatingordepressingtheinstrument。
[hipho_9。gif]
III。MERCURYBATH。——Fig。13givesafrontviewofthemercurybathnowingeneraluseinthiscountryformercurializingandbringingoutthepicture。Itisquiteanimprovementonthosefirstused。
Tomakeitmoreportableitisinthreepieces,abandc;
havingagrooveeononesidetoreceivethethermometretubeandscalebywhichtheproperdegreeofheatingthemercuryisascertained。
Intothetoparenicelyfittedtwoorthreeironframes,withshoulders,fortheplatetorestin,suitableforthedifferentsizesofplates。
Thebathisheatedbymeansofaspiritlampplacedunderit。
Fromtwotofourouncesofhighlypurifiedmercuryareputintothebathatatime。
IV。PLATEBLOCKSANDVICES。——Thereareseveralkindsofthisarticleinuse;
Ishalldescribethetwobestonly。
Fig。10givesanideaoftheimprovementontheEnglishhandblock。
Thetopaisperfectlyflat[hipho_10。gif]
andsmooth——alittlesmallerthantheplate,soastopermitthelattertoprojectaverylittleallaround——havingatoppositeanglescctwoclasps,onefixedtheothermoveable,butcapableofbeingfastenedbythethumbscrewd,soastosecuretheplatetightlyupontheblock。
Thisblockturnsuponaswivle,b,whichisattachedtothetablebythescrewc,Thisblockisonlyusedforholdingtheplatewhileundergoingthefirstoperationincleaning。
[hipho_11。gif]
Fig。11,showstheformofLewis’newlypatentedplatevice,whichfordurability,simplicityandutilityispreferabletoallothers。
Itconsistsofasimpleplatformandarmofcastiron,theformer,a,havingagroove,d,inthecentreforfixingthedifferentsizesofplatebeds,e——andthelattersupportingtheleaves,ef。
Onthisvicewhichissecuredtoatable,orbench,theplatereceivesitsfinishingpolishwithrouge,orpreparedlampblack。
Mr。Lewisgivesthefollowingdirectionsforitsuse。\"Asthecamwearstightenitwiththeadjustingscrew(g)soastoallowthelever(f)tofallbackintoahorizontalposition;theplatebeinginitsplaceatthetime。Oilthewearingpartsoccasionally。\"
SomeDaguerreotypists,however,useafootlathewithbuffwheelsofvariousforms;butthisviceissufficientforallordinarypurposes。
V。COATINGBOXES。——Theusualformforiodineand[hipho_12。gif]
[hipho_13。gif]
bromineboxesissee,atfigs。14and15。TheyarefarsuperiortothoseinusewiththeEnglishoperators。
Eachconsistsofawoodenbox(a,)havingfirmlyembededwithinitastoutglassjar(c),theedgesofwhichareground。
Overthisisplacedtheslidingcoverb,doublethelengthofthebox,onehalfoccupiedbyapieceofgroundglass(e),tightlypressedupontheglasspotbyaspring(i)beneaththecrossbarg,andfitsthepotsoaccuratelythatiteffectuallypreventstheescapeofthevaporoftheiodine,bromineorotheracceleratingliquidcontainedtherein。
Theotherhalfofthelidiscutthrough,shouldersbeingleftatthefouranglesforthedifferentsizesofframes,designedtorecievetheplatewhileundergoingthecoatingprocess。
Whentheplateisputintotheframe,thecoverbisshovedunderthesecondlidhandwhencoatedtotheproperdegree,itresumesitsformerpositionandtheplateisplacedintheholderofthecamerabox。Totestthetightnessofthebox,lightapieceofpaper,putitintothepotandcoveritwiththeslidinglid。
Theburningpaperexpelstheairfromthepot,andifitbeperfectlytightyoumayraisethewholeboxbythelid。
VI。GLASSFUNNELS。——AreanecessaryarticletotheDaguerreotypist,forfilteringwater,solutions,&c。
[hipho_14。gif]
VII。GILDINGSTAND。——Fornervouspersonsthegildingstandisausefularticle。Itisadjustedtoaperfectlevelbythumbscrewsplacedinitsbase。
VIII。SPIRITLAMPS。——ThemostusefulandeconomicalofthosemadearetheBritania,astheyarelessliabletobreak;
andthetubeforthewickbeingfastenedtothebodybyascrewrendersitlessliabletogetoutoforderorexplode。
Glassisthecheapest,andforanamateurwilldoverywell,butforaprofessedartisttheBritaniashouldalwaysbeobtained。
IX。COLORBOX。——Thesearegenerallyfoundonsaleattheshops,andusuallycontaineightcolors,fourbrushesandagoldcup。
Theartistwould,however,dowelltoobtain,allthecolorsmentionedinthelastchapterofthiswork,andbesuretogettheverybest,astherearevariousqualitiesofthesamecolor,particularlycarmine,whichisveryexpensive,andthecupidityofsomemayinducethemtosellapoorarticleforthesakeoflargerprofits。
[hipho_15。gif]
STILL。——Daguerreotypistsshouldalwaysusedistilledwaterforsolutions,andwashingtheplate,ascommonwaterholdsvarioussubstancesinsolutionwhichdetractverymateriallyfromtheexcellenceofaphotograph,andoftengivesmuchtrouble,quiteunaccountabletomany。
ForthepurposeofdistillingwatertheapparatusrepresentedatFig。16
isbothconvenientandeconomical。
Itmaybeeitherwhollyofgoodstouttin,orofsheetirontinnedontheinside,andmaybeusedoveracommonfire,oronastove。
Aisthebody,whichmaybemadetoholdfromonetofourgallonsofwater,whichisintroducedattheopeningb,whichisthenstoppedbyacork。
Thetubedconnectstheneckaofthestillwiththewormtub,orrefrigeratorB,ate,whichiskeptfilledwithcoldwaterbymeansofthefunnelc,anddrawnoffasfastasitbecomeswarmbythecockf。
Thedistilledwateriscondensedintheworm——andpassesoffatthecockb,underwhichabottle,orothervessel,shouldbeplacedtoreceiveit。
Thedifferentjointsarerenderedtightbylute,orinitsabsence,somestiffpastespreaduponapieceoflinenandwrappedaroundthemwillanswerverywell;anadditionofsealingwaxoverallwillmakethemdoublysecure。
[hipho_16。gif]
HYGROMETER。——Thisisaninstrumentnevertobefound,Ibelieve,intheroomsofouroperators,althoughitwouldbeofmuchusetothem,forascertainingthequantityofmoisturefloatingabouttheroom;
andasitisnecessarytohavetheatmosphereasdryaspossibletopreventanundueabsorptionofthiswateryvaporbytheiodine&c。,andtoprocuregoodpictures,——itsdetectionbecomesamatterofimportance。
Mason’shygrometer,manufacturedbyMr。RoachandsoldbyMr。Anthony,205Broadway,NewYorkisthebestinuse。
Itconsistsoftwothermometretubesplaced,sidebyside,onametalicscale,whichisgraduatedequallytobothtubes。
Thebulbofoneofthesetubescommunicates,bymeansofanet-workofcotton,withaglassreservoirofwaterattachedtothebackofthescale。Fig。17and18representafrontandbackviewofthisinstrument。
Fig。17isthefrontview,showingthetubeswiththeirrespectivescales;
thebulbbbeingcoveredwiththenetworkofcottoncommunicatingwiththereservoircfig。18,atd。
[hipho_17。gif]
[hipho_18。gif]
Theevaporationofthewaterfromthisbulbdecreasesthetemperatureofthemercuryinthetubebinproportiontothedrynessoftheatmosphere,andthenumberofdegreesthetubebindicatesbelowthatoftheother,showstherealstateoftheatmosphereintheroom;forinstance,ifbstandsatfortyandaatsixty-onetheroomisinastateofextremedryness,thedifferenceoftwenty-onedegreesbetweenthethermometers——letastandatanyonepoint——givesthisresult。
Iftheydonotdiffer,orthereisonlyfourorfivedegreesvariation,theatmosphereoftheroomisverymoistandmeansshouldbetakentoexpelthesuperfluousquantity。
HEADRESTS。——Thebuttonheadrestwithchairbackclip,Afig。
19——ismuchthebestfortravellingartists,asitcanbetakenapart,intoseveralpiecesandcloselypacked;iseasilyandfirmlyfixedtothebackofachairbytheclampandscrewaandb,andisreadilyadjustedtothehead,asthebuttonsc,candarmsd,daremovable。
Sometimesthebuttonrestisfixedtoapole,whichisscrewedtothechair;
butthismethodisnotsosecureandsolidastheclipandoccupiesmoreroominpacking。Boththepoleandclip,arefurnishedinsomecaseswithbrassbandrestsinsteadofthebutton;buttheonlyrecommendationthesecanpossiblypossessintheeyesofanyartist,istheircheapness。
[hipho_19。gif]
ForaDaguerreotypistpermanentlylocatedtheindependentironhead-rest,Bfig。19,isthemostpreferable,principallyonaccountofitssolidity。
Itisentirelyofiron,issupportedbyatripoda)ofthesamemetalandcanbeelevatedbymeansofarod(b)passingthroughthebodyofthetripod,toaheightsufficientforaperson,standing,torestagainst。
GALVANICBATTERY。——Thisarticleisusedforthepurposeofgivingtoimperfectlycoatedplatesathickercoveringofsilver。
Theformofbatterynowmostuniversallyemployedforelectrotype,andothergalvanicpurposes,isSmee’s——Fig。20。Itconsists[hipho_20。gif]
ofapieceofplatinizedsilver,A,onthetopofwhichisfixedabeamofwood,B,topreventcontactwiththesilver。
AbindingscrewCissolderedontothesilverplatetoconnectitwithanydesiredobject,bymeansofthecopperwire,e。
Aplateofamalgamatedzinc,D,varyingwiththefancyoftheoperatorfromonehalftotheentirewidthofthesilverisplacedoneachsideofthewood。Thisissetintoaglassvessel,P,——theextremeendsofthewoodrestinguponitsedge——onwhichtheacidwithwhichitischargedhasnoeffect。Thejarischargedwithsulphuridacid,(commonoilofvitriol)dilutedineightpartsitsbulkofwater。
Thezincplatesofthebatteryhavebeenamalgamatedwithquicksilver,andwhenthebatteryissetintothejarofacidthereshouldbenoactionpercieveduponthemwhenthepolesF,G,arenotincontact。
Shouldanyactionbepercieved,itindicatesimperfectamalgamation;
thiscanbeeasilyremediedbypouringalittlemercuryuponthemimmediatelyafterremovingthemfromtheacid,takingcaretogetnoneuponthecentreplateA。
Directionsforuse。——AsheetofsilvermustbeattachedtothewireconnectedwiththecentreplateAofthebattery,andplacedinthesilversolution——preparedasdirectedbelow。
Theplatetobesilveredisfirstcleanedwithdilutedsulphuricacid,andthenattachedtothewire,G,proceedingfromthezincplatesD,D,andplacedinthesilversolution,oppositethesilverplateattachedtothepoleF,andabouthalfaninchfromit。
Aslighteffervescencewillnowbepercievedfromthebattery,andthesilverwillbedepositedupontheDaguerreotypeplate,whileatthesametimeaportionofthesilverplateisdissolved。
Topreparethesolutionofsilver。——Dissolveoneounceofchlorideofsilverinasolutionoftwoouncesofcyanideofpotassium,previouslydissolvedinonequartofwater。
Theoxideofsilvermaybeusedinsteadofthechloride。
Thissolutionisputintoatumbler,orothervessel。
[hipho_21。gif]
[hipho_22。gif]
ThisbatterywiththenecessaryarticlesforusingitmaybeobtainedofE。Anthony,205Broadway,NewYorkcity。
Theotherarticlesrequiredbyeveryoperatormaybesimplyenumerated,viz:
Stickng,orsealingpaper。
Apairofpliers,orforceps。
Porcelainpansordishes,forapplyingthehyposulphiteofsodaandwashingaftertheimagineisfixed,somethinginformlikefig。23。
Asupportforholdingtheplatewhilebeingwashed,likefig。24
[hipho_25。gif]
BUFFSTICKS。——Fig。25。——Theseareusuallyfromonetothreefeetinlength,andaboutthreeincheswide——somethinktwoandahalfsufficient。
Theunderside,whichisconvex,iscoveredwithastripoffinelypreparedbuckskin,orvelvet,wellpaddedwithcottonortow。
Allthearticlesenumeratedinthischaptermaybeobtained,oftheverybestqualityandatthemostreasonablerates,ofMr。E。Anthony,205,Broadway,NewYork。
CHAP。VI。
THEDAGUERREOTYPEPROCESS。
TheprocessoftakingDaguerreotypepicturesdiffersverymateriallyfromallothersofthephotographicart,inasmuchastheproductionoftheimageiseffecteduponplatesofcoppercoatedwithsilver。
Thesilveremployedshouldbeaspureaspossible;thethicknessoftheplateisoflittleconsequence,providedtherebesufficientsilvertobearthecleaningandpolishing——isfreefromcopperspots,issusceptibleofahighpolish,anexquisitelysensitivecoatingandapleasingtone。
ThesequalitiesarepossessedtoaneminentdegreebytheFrenchplates。
Havingalreadyenumeratedthevariousprocesses——andtheapparatusnecessaryforthemanipulation,Iwillheregivealistofthechemicalstobeused,andthenproceedtoexplainthemmorefully。
Therequisitechemicalsare——
NITRICACID,ROUGE,DRYIODINE,MERCURY,DRYINGPOWDER,HYPOSULPHITEOFSODA,CYANIDEOFPOTASSIUM,CHLORIDEOFGOLD;OR
ROTTENSTONE,HYPOSULPHITEOFGOLD。
TRIPOLI,CHLORIDEOFSILVER。
CHLORIDEOFIODINE,}theircompounds,orotherBROMINE}acceleratingmixtures。
FIRSTOPERATION。——Cleaningandpolishingtheplate。——
Forthispurposetheoperatorwillrequirethe——
PlateBlocks,PlateViceSpiritLamp,PolishingBuffs,NitricAcid,dilutedinfifteentimesitsbulkofwaterGalvanicBattery,togalvanizetheplate,ifitistooimperfecttobeusedwithout,previouscleaningit,asdirectedinthelastchapter。
Rottenstone,Tripoli,whichistoooftendispensedwith。
Rouge,orlampblack——thefirstbeingmostpreferable。
TheEnglishoperatorsmixthetwotogether。
PreparedcottonWool,orCantonflannel。Ifthefirstisused,itshouldbeexcludedfromthedust,asitisnotsoeasilycleansedasthelatter。
Theplateissecured,withitssilversideupward,totheblock,bythemeansdescribedonpage58——havingpreviouslyturnedtheedgesbackwardallaround。Theamountofcleaningaplaterequires,dependsuponthestateitisin。Wewillsupposeoneintheworstcondition;dirty,scratched,andfullofmercuryspots,allofwhichimperfectionsaremoreorlesstobeencountered。
Themercuryspotsaretoberemovedbyburningtheplate。
Todothisholdtheplateovertheflameofaspiritlamp,moreparticularlyunderthemercuryspots,untilthey,assumeadullappearance,whenthelampistoberemoved,andtheplateallowedtocool,afterwhichitisattachedtotheblock。
Placetheblockupontheswivle,andholditfirmlywiththelefthand;
takeasmallknotorpelletofcotton,or,ifyoulikeitbetter,asmallpieceofcantonflannel——wetitwithalittledilutednitricacid;
thensiftsomefinelypreparedrottenstone——Davie’s,*ifyoucangetit——
uponit,andrubitovertheplatewithacontinualcircularmotion,tillalltracesofthedirtandscratchesareremoved;thenwipeofftherottenstonewithacleanpieceofcotton,adopting,asbefore,aslightcircularmotion,atthesametimewipingtheedgesoftheplate。
Eventhebackshouldnotbeneglected,butthroughlycleansedfromanydirtorgreasyfilmitmayhavereceivedfromhandling。
*SoldbyE。Anthony。
Whenthisisthoroughlyaccomplished,mixaportionofyourtripoliwiththedilutenitricacid,totheconsistenceofthickcream。
Thentakeapelletofcottonandwellpolishtheplatewiththismixture,inthesamemanneraswiththerottenstone。Continuetheprocesstill,onremovingthetripoliwithacleanpellet,theplateexhibitsaclear,smooth,brightsurface,freefromallspots,orscratches。
AnyremainsoftheacidontheplatemaybeentirelyremovedBysiftingonitalittleDryingpowder,andthenwipingitcarefullyoffwithafinecamelshairbrush,orduster。Thefinishingpolishisnowtobegiven。
Forthispurposetherouge——oramixtureofrougeandlamp-black,intheproportionofonepartoftheformertosevenofthelatter——isused。
Itshouldbekepteitherinamuslinbag,orwidemouthbottle,overwhichapieceofmuslinistied——infact,boththerottenstoneandtripolishouldbepreservedfromthedustinthesamemanner。
Withalittleofthispowderspreadoverthebuff——describedonpage53——
theplaterecievesitsfinalpolish;thecircularmotionischangedforastraightoneacrosstheplate,which,ifintendedforaportrait,shouldbebuffedthenarrowway;butif,foralandscapeorviewofahouse,thelengthwayoftheplate。
Theoperationofcleaningtheplateatfirstappearsdifficultandtedious,andmanyhavebeendeterredfromattemptingthisinterestingartonthataccount;but,inreality,itismoresimpleinpracticethanindescription,andwithalittlepatienceandobservation,alldifficultiesareeasilyovercome。
Greatcaremustbetakentokeepthebufffreefromallextraneousmatter,andperfectlydry,andwhennotinuseitshouldbewrappedupintissuepaper,orplacedinatightbox。
Theplateshouldbebuffedimmediatelybeforethesensitivecoatingisgiven;particlesofdustarethuseffectuallyremoved;
thetemperatureoftheplateisalsoincreasedbythefriction,andtherequiredtintmorereadilyobtained。
SECONDOPERATION。——Applyingthesensativecoating。——Theapparatusandchemicalsrequired,areanIodinebox——seefig。14page53。
Brominebox——similartotheiodineboxbutatrifledeeper。
DryIodine。
Bromine,oracompoundofBromineandChlorideofIodine,orothersensitivemixture。
MostofourbestoperatorsusethecompoundBromineandChlorideofIodine。IntheearlydaysoftheDaguerreotype,Iodinealonewasusedinpreparingtheplate,andalthoughitstillplaysaveryimportantpart,otherpreparations,calledacceleratingliquids,quickstuff,&c。,areused,andthediscoveryofwhichhasaloneensuredtheapplicationoftheDaguerreotypesuccessfullytoportraittaking——forwhenfirstintroducedamongusittookfromfivetotenminutestoproduceatolerablegoodview,whilenowbutthefractionofaminuteisrequiredtoobtainanaccuratelikeness。
Toiodizetheplateperfectlyitmustbeplacedovertheiodinevaporimmediatelyafterbuffing。Scatterfromasixteenthtotheeighthofanounceofdryiodineoverthebottomofyourcoatingbox,andslightlycoveritwithcottonwool。Theplateisthendroppedintotheframeb,fig。12,withitssilveredsurfacedownward,andthrustunderthelidh。Thebrightsurfaceoftheplateissooncoatedwithafilmofiodineofafineyellowcolor;
itisthenremovedandplacedovertheacceleratingsolution。
Itisnotabsolutelynecessarytoperformthisoperationinthedark,althoughabrightlightshouldbeavoided。
Notsothenextpartoftheprocess,viz;givingtheplateitsextremesensitiveness,orcoatingwiththeacceleratingliquids。
Inthisgreatcautionshouldbeusedtopreventtheslightestrayoflightimpringingdirectlyontheplate,andinexaminingthecolorreflectedlightshouldalwaysbeused。
Aconvientmethodofexaminingtheplate,istomakeasmallholeinthepartitionoftheclosetinwhichyoucoat,andcoveritwithapieceoftissuepaper;byquicklyturningtheplatesothatthepaperisreflecteduponitthecolorisverydistinctlyshown。
Mostofouroperatorsarenotsoparticularinthisrespectastheyshouldbe。
ACCELERATINGLIQUID。——Ofthesethereareseveralkinds,whichdifferbothincompositionandaction——someactingveryquickly,othersgivingafinertonetothepicturealthoughtheyarenotsoexpeditiousinthereoperations;orinotherwords,notsosensitvetotheactionoflight。TheseareadoptedbyDaguerreotypistsaccordingtotheirtastesandpredjudices。
Theyareallappliedinthesamewayasthecoatingofiodine。
Thefollowingarethebest。
Brominewater——ThissolutionismuchusedinFrance,and,Ishallthereforegiveitspreparation,andthemethodofusingit,inthewordsofM。Figeau。\"Putintoabottleofpurewater,alargeexcessofbromine;shakethemixturewell,andbeforeusingit,letallthebrominebetakenup。Anascertainedquantityofthissaturatedwateristhendilutedinagivenquantityofdistilledwater,whichgivesasolutionofbrominethatisalwaysidentical。\"
M。Figeaurecommendsonepartofthesaturatedsolutiontothirtypartsitsbulkofwater;butM。Lesebourfindsitmoremanageableifdilutedwithfortytimes。Incasepuredistilled,orrainwatercannotbeprocured,afewdropsofnitricacid——saysixtothequart——
shouldbeaddedtothecommonwater。
Putintothebromineboxagivenquantityofthissolution,sufficienttowellcoverthebottom;theplate,havingbeeniodizedtoadeepyellow,isplacedoverit;thetimetheplateshouldbeexposedmustbeascertainedbymakingafewtrials;itaveragesfromtwelvetofortyseconds。
Whenonceascertained,itisthesameforanynumberofplates,asthesolution,whichofcoursewouldbecomeweakerandweaker,ischangedaftereveryoperation,thesamequantitybeingalwaysputintothepot。
ChlorideofIodine。——Thisispreparedbyintroducingchlorinegassintoaglassvesselcontainingiodine;theiodineisliquified,andtheabovenamedcompoundistheresult。
Operatorsneednot,however,beatthetroubleandexpenseofpreparingit,asitcanbeobtainedprefectlypureofMr。Anthony,205Broadway,N。Y。,asalsoallofthechemicalshereinenumerated。
Thecompoundisdilutedwithdistilledwater,andtheplatesubmittedtoitsactiontillitisofarosecolor。Chlorideofiodinealone,isseldomifeverusednowbyAmericanoperators,asitdoesnotsufficientlycomeuptotheirlocomotiveprincipleofprogression。
Thenextisalsoeschewedbythemajority,althoughmanyofourbestartistsusenoother,onaccountoftheveryfinetoneitgivestopictures。
BromideofIodine。——Thisisacompoundofbromineandchlorideofiodine。Inmixingit,muchdependsuponthestrengthoftheingredients;anequalportionofeachbeinggenerallyused。
Perhapsthebestmethodofpreparingit,istomakeasolutioninalcoholofhalfanounceofchlorideofiodine,andaddthebrominedropbydrop,untilthemixturebecomesofadarkredcolor;
thendilutewithdistilledwater,tillitassumesabrightyellow。
Putabouthalfanounceofthiscompoundintothepot,andcoatoverittoavioletcolor,changethesolutionwhenitbecomestooweaktoproducethedesiredeffect。
Another。——Mixhalfanounceofbrominewithoneounceofchlorideofiodine,addtwoquartspuredistilledwater,shakeitwellandletitstandfortwelvehoursthenaddtwenty-fivedropsofmuriaticacid,andletitstandanothertwelvehours,occasionallyshakingitupwell。
Dilutesixpartsofthissolutioninsixteenofwater。Coatoverdryiodinetoadeepyellow,thenoverthesensitivetoadeeprosecolor——
approachingpurple——thenback,overdryiodinefromfourtoeightseconds。
Roach’sTrippleCompound。——Thisisoneoftheverybestsensitivesolutions,andisverypopularamongDaguerreotypists。
Tousethis,takeonepartinweight,sayonedrachm,ofthecompoundanddiluteitwithtwelveofwater;coatoverdryiodinetoyellow,thenoverthecompoundtoarosyred。
Theeffectinthecameraisquick,andproducesapictureofafinewhitetone。
Gurney’sSensitive。——Thisisanotherpreparationofbromine,andgivesafinetone。Totwopartsofwateraddoneofthesensitive,andputjustsufficientintheboxtocoverthebottom,orenableyoutocoatinfromeighttotenseconds。
Coatoverdryiodinetoadarkyellow,andoverthequicktillyouseeagoodchange,thenbackoverthedryiodinefromtwotothreeseconds。
BromideofLime,orDrySensitive。——Thisisacompoundbutrecentlyintroduced,andisbecomingsomewhatofitfavorite,owingprincipallytotheslighttroubleitgivesinitspreparation,andthetoneitimpartstothepicture。Toprepareit,fillyourjarabouthalforquarterfullofdryslackedlime,thendropintoitbromine,tillitbecomesabrightorangered。
Theplateisgenerallycoatedoverthiscompound,aftertheiodinecoatingtoyellow,toaviolet,orplumcolor;
butitwillworkwellunderanycircumstances,thecolorbeingoflittleconsequence,ifcoatedfromthirtytoninetyseconds,accordingtoitsstrength。
Mead’sAccelerator。——Imerelymentionthisasbeinginthemarket,notknowinganythinginregardtoitsmerits。
Thedirectionsgivenforitsuseareasfollows:
Mixone-thirdofabottlewithawineglassfullofwater,coattheplateoverdryiodinetoadarkgoldcolor,thenovertheacceleratortoaviolet,thenbackoverdryiodine,orchlorideofiodine,fromthreetofiveseconds。
ChlorideofBromine。——M。Bissou,aFrenchexperimentalist,hasfoundthatbromineassociatedwithchlorine,preparedinasimilarmannertochlorideofiodine,alreadydescribed,asolutionofbrominebeingsubstitutedfortheiodine,isaverysensitivesolution;bymeansofitdaguerreotypeproofsareobtainedinhalfasecond,and,thusveryfugitivesubjectsarerepresented,makingittheverybestcompoundfortakingchildren。
Soquickisitsoperation,thatevenpersonsoranimalsmaybetakenintheactofwalking。
HungarianLiquid。——This,Ibelieve,hasneverbeenusedhere,orimportedintothiscountry,andthecompositionofitisnotgenerallyknown,eveninEurope,whereithastakenprecedenceofallothers。
Itactsquicklyandwithconsiderablecertainty。Itisusedbydilutingitwithfromtentofifteentimesitsbulkofwater,puttingasufficientquantityintothejartocoverthebottom。
Theplatebeingpreviouslyiodizedtoalightyellow,issubmittedtothismixturetillitassumesalightrosetint。
BromineandFluoricAcid,incombination,areusedbysomeDaguerreanartistsasasensitive,butanyoftheabovecompoundsarebetter;
besidesthis,thefluoricacidisadangerouspoison,andthequickmadefromitwillnotrepaytherisktothehealthinusingit。
AsIhavebeforesaid,greatcautionshouldbeobservedinexaminingthecoloroftheplate,evenbythefeeblelightallowed,which,whenattained,mustbeimmediatelyplacedintheholderbelongingtothecameraandcoveredwiththedarkslide。
YouthenpasstotheTHIRDOPERATION。——SubmittingthePlatetotheactionofLightintheCamera。——Experiencealonemustguidetheoperatorastothetimetheplateshouldbeexposedtotheinfluenceofthelight;thisbeingdependentonavarietyofcircumstances,asclearnessoftheatmosphere——
andhere,areferencetothehygrometerwillbeofadvantage——
timeofday,objecttobetaken,andthedegreeofsensitivenessimpartedtotheplatebythequickstuff。AsIhavebeforesaid,theartistshouldbecarefultoseethattheinteriorofthecameraiscleanandfreefromdust,asthesmallparticlesflyingabout,orsetinmotionbytheslidingoftheholderintothebox,attachthemselvestotheplate,andcausethelittleblackspots,bywhichanotherwisegoodpictureisfrequentlyspoiled。
Careshouldalsobetakeninwithdrawingthedarkslide,infrontoftheplate,fromtheholder,asthesameeffectmaybeproducedbyatoohastymovement。Thelensisthelastthingtobeuncovered,bywithdrawingthecapc。fig。5。,whichshouldnotbedoneuntilyouhaveplacedthesitterinthemostdesirableposition。
When,accordingtothejudgmentandexperienceoftheoperator,theplatehasremainedlongenoughtoreceiveagoodinpression,thecapisreplacedoverthelens,andthedarkslideovertheplate,whichisthenremovedfromthecamera。
Daguerreotypistsgenerallymarktimebytheirwatches,arrivingatthenearestpossibleperiodforproducingagoodpicturebymakingseveraltrials。
Asareadymethodofmarkingshortintervalsoftimeis,however,averyimportantconsideration,andasanyinstrumentwhichwillenableanartisttoarriveattheexactperiod,mustbeanimprovement,andworthyofuniversaladoption,IwillheredescribeoneinventedbyMr。ConstableofEngland,whichhecallsaSandClock,orTimeKeeper。——\"Itconsistsofaglasstube,abouttwelveincheslong,byoneindiameter,halffilledwithfinesand,similartothatusedfortheordinaryminuteglasses,and,likethem,ithasadiaphram,withasmallholeinthecentrethroughwhichthesandruns。
Thetubeisattachedtoaboardwhichrevolvesonacentrepin;
onthesideisagraduatedscale,dividedintohalfseconds;
thetubeisalsoprovidedwithamoveableindex。
Thisinstrumentisattached,inaconspicuousplace,tothewall。