第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"The History of the Thirty Years’ War",免费读到尾

  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。

点击下载App,搜索"The History of the Thirty Years’ War",免费读到尾