The Evolution of Photography: With a Chronological Record of Discoveries, Inventions, Etc., Contributions to Photographic Literature, and Personal Reminescences Extending over Forty YearsWerge, John, active 1854-1890
History
The Evolution of Photography: With a Chronological Record of Discoveries, Inventions, Etc., Contributions to Photographic Literature, and Personal Reminescences Extending over Forty Years
Werge, John, active 1854-1890
Photography -- History
Such is the description of the plaster casts; and the photographs which
I possess of those casts convey to the mind at one glance all that is
there written. Wonderful photography! How eloquent in their silence are
thy pictures! To what more dignified and sublime uses could any art be
put? Only a few can look upon those casts of the dead Pompeiians in the
Museum of Naples, but the whole world may view the photographs taken
from them, and look upon the Pompeiians in their forms and habits as
they died, and read a page from the unwritten histories of those
terrible death-struggles, when the strong man, the tender, placid
mother, and the young and delicate maiden were all entombed in that
fearful sea of mud, amidst darkness and horrors that can never be
adequately described.
Such an awful catastrophe will never cease to interest the student of
ancient history, and photography will now be the means of deepening his
interest, and revealing to his mind with greater force and lucidity many
scenes that actually occurred at the very moment of the appalling
destruction of Pompeii, on the 24th of August, A.D. 79.
A SIMPLE MODE OF INTENSIFYING NEGATIVES.
Undoubtedly the best possible practice of photography is that which
requires no after intensification in the production of a first-class
negative. This, however, though a "consummation devoutly to be wished,"
is not always attained, even by the most experienced photographer. Every
operator knows that there is sometimes a condition of things that
renders a simple and efficient process of intensifying afterwards
indispensable.
Of all the modes of intensifying--and their name is legion--I think the
readiest and most generally useful has been much neglected. The
persulphate of uranium and ferridcyanide of potassium process gave
wonderfully charming results. But what of that? It was completely
impracticable, and a failure, in consequence of its tendency to go on
increasing in intensity in the hands of the printer.
The bichloride of mercury and iodine processes, unlimited in number,
also went on increasing in an unlimited degree, and no amount of
"roasting" could reduce the negatives so treated to the desirable degree
of transparency that would enable any printer to obtain good
impressions. There is, however, one of the bichloride of mercury
processes, published some years ago, which I modified so as to give the
most satisfactory results. It rendered the negative sufficiently
intense, and preserved the most exquisite modelling, without changing
afterwards; but the process was very troublesome, and not very
agreeable.
The simplest, cheapest, and most reliable process of intensifying
negatives that I know of is with sulphuret of potassium (liver of
sulphur) used in the following manner:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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