A Practical Manual of the Collodion Process, Giving in Detail a Method For Producing Positive and Negative Pictures on Glass and Paper.Humphrey, S. D. (Samuel Dwight)
Science
A Practical Manual of the Collodion Process, Giving in Detail a Method For Producing Positive and Negative Pictures on Glass and Paper.
Humphrey, S. D. (Samuel Dwight)
Ambrotype; Photography
The water is put into a flat, gutta-percha, glass, or earthen dish, and
the muriate of ammonia is put into it, and stirred until it is dissolved
and is well mixed with the water; then proceed as follows: we will suppose
we have a gutta-percha dish sufficiently large to take in a sheet of
paper 8 by 10 inches, and about 1-1/2 or 2 inches deep: take hold of two
corners of the paper with the thumb and finger of each hand, and then
draw the paper through the solution, by passing it from one end of the
dish to the other, so that it will be wetted on both sides; then turning
it over in the same manner, draw it back, so that its surface will be
thoroughly moistened, but it is not necessary to _saturate_ the paper.
Now the paper is ready for drying, which may be done by hanging it on the
edge of a shelf by means of little tack nails put through it at the same
corners by which it was held in passing through the salting solution. In
order to prevent streaks, from forming upon the paper, it is better to
hang it in such a manner that it cannot touch the shelf, except at the
corners: say the sheet is eight inches wide, and the tacks (which are put
through the corners) to be only five or six inches apart, this will give
the proper bend outwards, preventing its contact with the shelf. This
entire operation can be performed in daylight, or otherwise as suits the
convenience of the operator.
This paper, when dry, should be laid between the folds of blotting paper
(filtering paper will answer), and may be kept for any length of time, and
is ready for the silvering process.
Silvering Paper.
In silvering paper, I employ the ammonio-nitrate, which is prepared as
follows:--
Water 2-1/4 ounces.
Nitrate of silver 75 grains.
Dissolve (in a 4-ounce vial) the nitrate of silver in the water, and then
pour one-fourth of the solution into an ounce graduate or any convenient
vessel: this keep for farther use in preventing the presence of an excess
of ammonia. Now, into the bottle containing the three-fourths put about
4 drops of aqua-ammonia; shake well and a brown precipitate will be
given. Continue adding the ammonia, _drop by drop_, and shake after each
addition, until the brown precipitate is re-dissolved and the solution is
clear; then pour back into the bottle the one-fourth taken out at first:
this will leave the solution slightly turbid, and when so, there is no
excess of ammonia which would be objectionable. It may now be filtered
through filtering paper, and it (the clear liquid) is ready for use. This
should be kept in the dark, as it decomposes rapidly when exposed to light.
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