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Early
Photographic Processes
Photogenic Manipulation
1843 and 1852 Editions |
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The book Photogenic
Manipulation was published from
the 1840s onwards.
The 2nd Edition, by George
Thomas Fisher Jun was published in 1843.
The 8th Edition, by Robert
J Bingham, was published in 1852, and sub-titled:
"The Production of
Pictures through the Agency of Light".
It had about 150 pages, over 50 of which were
devoted to the Daguerreotype process.
The publisher of both the
above editions was:
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George Knight & Son
Manufacturers of
Chemical Apparatus and
Philosophical Instruments
Foster Lane, Cheapside, London |
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NOTE:
Below, I have included a
few brief comments on each of the processes mentioned in the book, other
than the Daguerreotype
which is covered elsewhere on this site. Some of
the processes may not have worked in practice.
I've not given strengths
of chemicals or other details below because this site is not intended as a source of
information for anybody wishing to experiment with any of the early
processes. I have no first-hand experience of using any of these
processes.
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WARNING
Some
of the chemicals mentioned below and elsewhere on this site may fall well
short of present safety standards, so please do not experiment with any of
the processes below without full knowledge of the risks.
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I have taken material from
both the editions above.
- Comments from the 1843 edition are in
GREY
- Comments
from the 1852 edition are in BROWN below.
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Anthotype
This process was discovered
by Sir John Herschel. This was the name given to
processes that used the coloured juices of plants, such as the flowers of
corchorus papaver hybridum, rose, guiacum, ten weeks stock and other
plants.
[Similar description given
in 1852.]
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Calotype
This method was discovered
initially by Talbot, following his experiments with gallic acid as a
method that reduced exposures in the camera from 2 to 3 hours to
frequently a few seconds.
Were calotype exposures
really as short as this?
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Catalisotype
The
process was described by Dr Wood. It involved the use of
hydrochloric acid, syrup of ioduret of iron, iodine and nitrate of silver.
Mr Myall claimed to have used a modified method with success. |
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Chromotype
This process was announced
by Mr Hunt to a Meeting of the British Association in August 1843.
Paper is coated with a
solution of sulphate of copper and bichromate of potash. After
exposing to sunshine, apply a solution of nitrate of silver.
[Please click this link to
read comments on the
Chromotype Process] |
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Chrysotype
This process discovered
by Sir John Herschel, is a modification of Talbot's process. It was
communicated to the Royal Society in June 1842.
Wash paper with a solution
of ammonio citrate of iron THEN dry THEN wash with a
solution of ferrosequicyanuret of potassium and dry in a darkroom THEN
expose the paper THEN use a neutral solution of
gold or of silver to develop the paper.
John Herschell
claimed that portraits made by this method bought out a clearness of
outline foreign to all other processes.
[Similar description given
in 1852.]
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Cyanotype
This process was discovered
by Sir John Herschel. It is also known as ferrotype. It is a
simple process.
This is the name given to
all pictures taken with the salts of iron, particularly in combination
with cyanogen.
Brush the paper with a
solution of ammonio-citrate of iron, sufficiently strong to resemble a
sherry wine in colour THEN expose the paper THEN pass a solution of
ferro-cyanyte sparingly over it. This last step will cause the
negative image to vanish and be replaced by a violet/blue colour on a
greenish yellow ground.
[Similar but briefer
description given in 1852.]
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Ferrotype
Ferrotype was announced by Mr Hunt, originally under the name
Energiatype.
Ferrotype
is the name that was given to processes that used proto-sulphate of iron
as a reducing agent.
The
original process involved coating paper with a solution of succinic acid,
common salt and mucilage of gum arabic, followed when dry by a solution of
nitrate of silver. |
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Fluorotype
The
process consisted of washing paper with bromide of potassium and with
fluate of soda. It was claimed that it should be possible to create
a good picture in the camera in half a minute - but RJ Bingham reported
having experimented without success. |
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Pictures on Glass
This section was included
for the first time in the 1850 edition of Photogenic Manipulation. RJ Bingham wrote:
"Amongst other matters, a
method of producing photographic pictures upon glass plates has been
added, a process which, judging from what has already been done, bids fair
to rival the Daguerreotype in its great delicacy and beauty of detail,
while it possesses many of the advantages of the Calotype process."
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