DRY COLLODION PROCESS

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Survey of Negative Processes Glass-Based Processes


There have been always efforts to use the collodion process dryly to make it easier to handle.

Most of the formulas developed were without any success. Only few processes became accepted for a short while.

Dry Collodion Processes mostly need two to six times longer exposure times than the Wet Process (this was improved by the introduction of alkaline developers).

Generally there are four different approaches:

  1. after drying of the collodion an additional bath of silver nitrate shortly before exposure
  2. hygroscopic coatings or additions to keep the collodion moist (e.g. sugar, honey, syrup, beer, sherry, coffee, tea, licorice, vinegar)

(GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983, p 393 et seq.)

  1. protection coating made of albumen or gelatin (keeps the pores of the collodion open)
  2. treatment with tannin before drying


Dry plates have to be developed slowly therefore the adhesion between glass and emulsion is increased by intermediate coating made of albumen or natural rubber.

(GILLET et al., 1986)

Contents

[edit] Taupenot Dry Plate Process

(EDER, JOSEF MARIA, 1932, p 517; HANSCH, MARTIN, 1985, p 61; GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983, p 394 et seq.; GILLET et al., 1986)

  • 1855 published by Dr. J.M. Taupenot
  • other name: collodio albumen process
  • used until the beginning 1860ies mainly for landscape photography
  • many variations of this process circulating (e.g. 1858 simplification by Thomas Fothergill)

[edit] process

  • sensitized, wet, washed collodion plate gets doused by a solution of potassium bromide, ammonium bromide, ammonia and albumen
  • drying
  • second sensitization with silver nitrate (thus one gets two light sensitive layers on top of each other: collodion and albumen)
  • washing
  • drying


  • maintainable for several weeks up to years
  • low-sensitive (six times longer exposure times than with the wet process)
  • good resolution
  • no protection varnish necessary since the collodion is covered by albumen


[edit] Norris´ Collodion Plates

(GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983, p 395; EDER, JOSEF MARIA, 1932, p 519 et seqq.)

  • 1856 published by Richard Hill Norris
  • used until approximately 1866
  • short reviving after improvement in the 1890ies (due to fine graininess longer existence in reprographic technique)
  • Norris sets up the Patent Dry Collodion Plate Company: first industrially made photographic plates.

[edit] process

collodion plate gets a coating made of gelatin or gum arabic before drying (hygroscopic coating keep the pores of the collodion open for wet processing)


  • maintainable for about one year
  • light sensitivity comparable to that of the wet process

[edit] Tannin Process of Major Russell

(GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983, p 395; TAFT, ROBERT, 1964, p 209 et seq.; EDER, JOSEF MARIA, 1932, p 519 et seqq.; HANSCH, MARTIN, 1985, p 61 et seqq.)

  • 1861 published by Major Charles Russell
  • displaced the Taupenot Dry Plate Process (works faster, stronger negatives)
  • especially used for landscape photography

[edit] process

  • sensitized (silver iodide and bromide), wet, washed collodion plate into a bath of alcohol and tannic acid (3% tannin)
  • drying

The tannin can come from different sources (pyrogallic acid, substances containing rubber or sugar, coffee, tea, beer)


  • disadvantage: tendency of the collodion layer to peal off along the edges, thus the recommendation to seam the plate with gelatin or gutta-percha.
  • maintainable for several weeks.
  • exposure times five times longer than with the wet process

[edit] Collodio Bromide Process of Bolton and Sayce

(COE, BRIAN, 1986, p 38; GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983, p 396; NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 57)

  • 1864 published by William Blanchard Bolton and B.J. Sayce
  • general process: ready-made emulsion which can directly be poured onto the glass plate (no sensitization step necessary)
  • prepared plates maintainable for some time
  • less light sensitive than the wet process

[edit] Further variations

  • Albumen Beer Process (1874 by W. Abney)

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 23)

  • Chardon’s Process (1876 by Alfred Chardon)

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 50)

  • Coffee Process (Colonel Baratti)

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 57)

  • Honey Process (1854 by George Shadbolt and Maxwell Lyte)

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 101)

  • Oxymel Process (1855)

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 147)

  • Resin Dry Process

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 199)

  • Worthley’s Process (Col. Stuart Wortley)
  • Morphia Process

(NADEAU, LUIS, 2006, p 135)

[edit] References

  • COE, BRIAN, 1986. Das erste Jahrhundert der Photographie 1800-1900. Bindlach: Gondrom
  • EDER, JOSEF MARIA, 1932. Ausführliches Handbuch der Photographie. Band 1, Teil 1. 4. Auflage. Halle a.S.: Knapp
  • GERNSHEIM, HELMUT, 1983. Geschichte der Photographie: Die ersten 100 Jahre. Frankfurt/ Main: Ullstein
  • GILLET et al., 1986. Gillet, Martine; Garnier, Chantal; Flieder, Francoise. Glass Plate Negatives. Preservation and Restoration. Restaurator, 7(2), 49-80
  • HANSCH, MARTIN, 1985. Frühe Photographien - ihre Technik und Restaurierung. Überherrn/Saar: Kabinett-Verlag Uwe Scheid
  • NADEAU, LUIS, 2006. Encyclopedia of Printing, Photographic and Photomechanical Processes (1st eBook ed., V.1.1.). Fredericton, NB (Canada)
  • TAFT, ROBERT, 1964. Photography and the American Scene: A Social History, 1839-1889. New York: Dover (Reprint)

[edit] Gallery

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