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
"The slowness may depend in part on the proportions of bromide and
nitrate not being correctly balanced, especially as the ordinary, not
the anhydrous, bromide was used, and on the quantities being too small
for the proportion of gelatine. Whether the plates would be more
sensitive if used when only surface dry is a question of experiment;
also, whether other bromides than the one tried may not prove more
advantageous in the presence of the neutral salt resulting from the
decomposition, or the omission or decrease of the quantity of _aqua
regia_. Very probably also the development by gallic acid and acetate of
lead developer may furnish better results than the plain pyro.
"As there will be no chance of my being able to continue these
experiments, they are placed in their crude state before the readers of
the Journal, and may eventually receive correction and improvement under
abler hands. So far as can be judged, the process seems quite worth more
carefully conducted experiments, and, if found advantageous, adds
another handle to the photographer's wheel.
R. L. Maddox, M.D."
After perusing the above, it will be evident to any one that Dr. Maddox
very nearly arrived at perfection in his early experiments. The slowness
that he complains of was caused entirely by not washing the emulsion to
discharge the excess of bromide, and the want of density was due to the
absence of a restrainer and ammonia in the developer. He only made
positive prints from negatives; but the same emulsion, had it been
washed, would have made negatives in the camera in much less time. Thus,
it will be seen, that Dr. Maddox, like the Rev. J. B. Reade, threw the
ball, and others caught it; for the gelatine process, as given by Dr.
Maddox, is only modified, not altered, by the numerous dry plate and
gelatino-bromide paper manufacturers of to-day.
Meanwhile collodion held the field, and many practical men thought it
would never be superseded.
In this year Sir John Herschel died at a ripe old age, seventy-nine.
Photographers should revere his memory, for it was he who made
photography practical by publishing his observation that hyposulphite of
soda possessed the power of dissolving chloride and other salts of
silver.
[Illustration: FOURTH PERIOD.
GELATINE.
Dr. R. L. MADDOX.
_From Photograph by J. Thomson._
GELATINO-BROMIDE EMULSION 1871.
R. KENNETT.
_From Photograph by J. Werge, 1887._
GELATINO-BROMIDE PELLICLE 1873 DRY-PLATES 1874]
FOURTH PERIOD.
GELATINE SUCCESSFUL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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