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
There are several things requisite in an artist to enable him to color
a head, or even a landscape effectively, and correctly, and I must say
that very few of these are possessed by our operators as a class.
These requirements are, a talent for drawing--taste--due discrimination
of effect--strict observance of the characteristic points in the
features of the subject--quick perception of the beautiful, and a
knowledge of the art of mixing colors, and blending tints.
The method now pursued, I do not hesitate to say, and have no fears of
being contradicted by those capable of critisizing is on the whole
ruinous to any daguerreotype, and to a perfect one absolutely
disgusting. The day may come when accurate coloring may be obtained in
the camera. Until that day, if we cannot lead taste into the right
channel, we will endeavor to give such instructions that
Daguerreotypists may proceed with this part of his work with a better
understanding of the principles involved. For this purpose I have
prepared a short chapter on the art of coloring, which may be found in
the latter part of this volume.
To Preserve Daguerreotypes they must be well sealed and secured in a
case, or frame. These, of course, are selected according to the taste
of the customer, the principal requisite being good glass. Most
Daguerreotypists prefer the white French plate glass--and many think,
very erroneously, that none is good unless it is thick--but the great
desideratum is clearness and freedom from blisters; even glass a little
tinged with green or yellow is to be preferred to the French plate when
cloudy or blistered and there is very little of it comes to this market
that is not so. It is to be hoped that some of our glass factories
will manage to manufacture an article expressly for daguerreotypes; and
I would recommend them to do so, for they would find it quite an item
of profit annually.
Before enclosing the picture in the case you should be careful to wipe
the glass perfectly clean, and blow from the picture any particles of
dust which may have fallen upon it. Then take strips of sticking
paper, about half or three quarters of an inch wide, and firmly and
neatly secure it to the glass, having first placed a "mat" between them
to prevent the plate being scratched by the glass.
TO MAKE SEALING PAPER.--Dissolve one ounce of gum arabic, and a quarter
of an ounce of gum tragicanth in a pint of water; then add a
teaspoonful of benzoin. Spread this evenly on one side of good stout
tissue paper; let it dry, and then cut it up in stripes, about half or
three quarters of an inch wide, for use. If it becomes too soft for
summer use, add gum arabic; if too hard and cracking, add benzoin or
gum tragicanth; if it gets too thick, add water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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