Scientific American Supplement, No. 315, January 14, 1882Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 315, January 14, 1882
Various
Science -- Periodicals
Four assistants are required in the operation, and the same number
when it comes to sensitizing and developing, all of which processes
are commenced in the same way. The bath is tilted so that the liquid
collects at one end, and near this end two assistants hold across the
bath a stout glass rod; then the canvas is dipped into the liquid, and
drawn out by two other assistants over the glass rod. In this way the
canvas is thoroughly saturated, and, at the same time, drained of
superfluous liquid.
The canvas is hung up to dry; but as sometime must elapse before this
particular piece will be ready for sensitizing, we proceed with
another canvas which is fit and proper for that process. The room, we
should have mentioned, is provided with windows of yellow glass; but
as there is plenty of light nevertheless, the fact hardly strikes one
on entering. The sensitizing, with a solution of nitrate of silver, is
conducted with a glass rod in the same way as before, the solution
being thus compounded:
Nitrate of silver........................ 4 parts.
Citric acid.............................. 1 part.
Water.................................. 140 parts.
Again the canvas is dried, and then comes its exposure.
This is done in a room adjoining. We lift a curtain and enter a space
that reminds one of the underground regions of a theater. There are
curtained partitions and wooden structures on every hand; dark murky
corners combined with brilliant illumination. Messrs. Winter use the
electric light for enlarging, a lamp of Siemens' driven by a six-horse
power engine. The lamp is outside the enlarging room, and three large
lenses, or condensers, on three sides of the light, permit the making
of three enlargements at one end at the same time. (See Fig.)
[Illustration]
The condenser collects the rays, and these shine into a camera
arrangement in which the small negative is contained. The enlarged
image is then projected, magic lantern fashion, upon the screen, to
which is fastened the sensitized canvas. The screen in question is
upon a tramway--there are three tramways and three screens in all, as
shown in our sketch--and for this reason it is easy to advance and
retire the canvas, for the purpose of properly focusing it.
Even with the electric light now employed, it is necessary to expose a
considerable time to secure a vigorous impression. From ten minutes to
half an hour is the usual period, determined by the assistant, whose
experienced eye is the only guide. We should estimate the distance of
the cameras from the enlarging apparatus to be about fourteen or
fifteen feet in the instance we saw, and when the canvas was taken
down, a distinct outline of the image was visible on its surface.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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