The History and Practice of the Art of PhotographySnelling, Henry Hunt
History
The History and Practice of the Art of Photography
Snelling, Henry Hunt
Daguerreotype; Photography
Paper prepared with this salt, blackens over its whole extent with
nearly equal intensity, when submitted to the prismatic spectrum. The
most characteristic peculiarity of the spectrum is its extravagant
length. Instead of terminating at the mean yellow ray, the darkened
portion extends down to the very extremity of the visible red rays. In
tint it is pretty uniformly of a grey-black over its whole extent,
except that a slight fringe of redness is perceptible at the least
refracted end. Beyond the red ray, an extended space is protected from
the agency of the dispersed light, and its whiteness maintained; thus
confirming the evidence of some chemical power in action, over a space
beyond the luminous spectrum, which corresponds with the rays of the
least refrangibility.
This salt is extensively used in photographic drawing.
PREPARATIONS OF GOLD.--Chloride of Gold, freed from an excess of acid
is slowly changed under the action of light; a regularly increasing
darkness taking place until it becomes purple, the first action of the
light being to whiten the paper, which, if removed from the light at
this stage, will gradually darken and eventually develope the picture.
This process may be quickened by placing the paper in cold water.
Chloride of gold with nitrate of silver gives a precipitate of a yellow
brown color. Paper impregnated with the acetate of lead, when washed
with perfectly neutral chloride of gold, acquires a brownish-yellow
hue. The first impression of light seems rather to whiten than darken
the paper, by discharging the original color, and substituting for it a
pale greyish tint, which by slow degrees increases to a dark slate
color; but if arrested, while yet, not more than a moderate ash grey,
and held in a current of steam, the color of the parts acted upon by
light--and of that only--darkens immediately to a deep purple.
Here I must leave the subject of the action of light upon metalic
compounds--referring to Mr. Hunts work for any further information the
student may desire on the other metals--as I find myself going beyond
my limits. I cannot, however, entirely dismiss the subject without
giving a few examples of the action of light on the juices of plants,
some of which produce very good photographic effect.
CORCHORUS JAPONICA--The juice of the flowers of this plant impart a
fine yellow color to paper, and, so far as ascertained, is the most
sensitive of any vegetable preparation; but owing to its continuing to
change color even in the dark, photographic images taken on paper
prepared with it soon fade out.
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