!J C 13 ^

THE OXYMEL PROCESS IN

^i)otograpl)^

BY PHILIP H. DELAMOTTE F.S.A.

PROFESSOR OF DRAWING IN

LONDON

CHAPMAN AND HALL PICCADILLY

MDCCCLVI,

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016

https://archive.org/details/oxymelprocessinpOOdela

THE OXYMEL PROCESS IN PHOTOGRAPHY.

HE Oxymel Procefs, recently an- nounced by Mr. Llewelyn, of Penllergare, is undoubtedly the molt valuable difcovery in the art of Photography, that has been made lince Mr. Scott Archer introduced Collodion.

By the help of Oxymel, all the beautiful delicacy of the fineft Collodion pictures may be obtained, with the convenience of the paper procefs, and with much more certainty, and much greater eafe.

Tourifts may take a dozen or two plates, ready prepared, and during a week or a fort- night may expofe them in the camera as they may require, and in the evening or even in a day or two afterwards may develop the pic- tures they have obtained at their convenience.

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The Oxymel Procefs

I may as well fiate at once, to remove any mifapprehenfion, that I have tried this new procefs myfelf many times ; that I have feen others try it, and that if the necefiary pre- cautions are obferved, it does not admit of failure.

Mr. Llewelyn went through a courfe of many hundred experiments before he arrived at a fatisfadtory conclufion, and I am warranted in faying, that little or no improvement can be made on the exadt formula which he has promulgated, and which under his inftruc- tions I have myfelf been working with.

Although great care and great cleanlinefs are necefiary to fuccefs in the ufual Collodion procefs, it is indifpenfable that there be ftill much more care and much more cleanlinefs in the ufe of Oxymel. The leaf! decompo- fition fet up while the plate is in the Aide, or the leafi ray of light falling on the fenfitive furface is wholly fatal. If the glafs be touched by fingers contaminated with chemicals — if the camera and the Aide be not perfedtly con- Arudted — if the top of the Aide when the Ai utter is raifed be not protedted from the _ light by a cloth — or in fadt if any one of the

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ufual precautions be negledted — then the chances are great that the operator will be completely foiled, and that he will confe- quently entertain a bad opinion of Oxymel. Let fuch operator be allured that the fault lies in himfelf, and not in the procefs.

Oxymel (o£vc acid, / ueXi honey'), for the purpofe of Photography fhould be manufac- tured of

Acetic Acid . . 7 fluid ounces,

Diftilled water . 8 flqid ounces.

Honey (defpumated) 5 pounds ;

Mix the Acid added to the water with the Honey made hot.

It fhould be filtered till it is quite clear, and free from any cloudinefs or fediment. It can be obtained of molt Photographic Chemifts, but feveral houfes* have undertaken to fup- ply it in its purefl: poflible Hate, and from the formula above given.

It will be better that I fhould defcribe the exadt method of procedure from beginning to end, and this will neceflarily include the ordinary Collodion procefs.

* See advertifements at the end.

The Oxymel Procefs

PREPARATION OF THE CHEMICALS, Etc.

The Nitrate of Silver Bath.

(30 grains to 1 oz. of water.)

O make a Bath fufficient for a plate of glafs ten inches by eight, about forty ounces will be needed.

Take

Nitrate of Silver oz.~[

Diftilled water 5 oz J

Take

Iodide of Potaffium 8 gr.)

Diftilled water \ oz J Pour the Iodide into the Nitrate folution, and fhake it until the precipitate (iodide of

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filver) thus formed is entirely rediflolved. Then add 34 oz. of diftilled water. Let it ftand all night, and then add 2 drachms of the beft alcohol. Filter it with prepared fil- tering-paper, and the bath is then ready for ufe. This folution, if kept quite clean, will remain in good order for years. Whenever it is not perfectly clear, it muft be again fil- tered.
The Collodion.
I have not yet found any fuperior to that made by Mr. R. Thomas. It is almoft in- difpenfable that it fhould be iodifed (according to the prefcribed form) at leaft two days be- fore it is wanted for ufe. For landfcapes it is better when a week old, and for copying engravings when it has been iodifed for at leaft; a month. I would recommend thofe who are
conftantly praftifing photography to begin by buying two pints, and as foon as the firft pint is exhaufted, to purchafe another, fo as always to have a fupply in ftock that is not newly made. Uniodifed collodion, like port wine, is all the better for keeping, and by adopting

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The Oxymel Procefs

ounces

my recommendation, a photographer may fave himfelf much vexation.*

The Oxymel.

When wanted for ufe dilute it in this pro- portion : —

Oxymel . tsaz.

--Diftilled water /^oz.

V

, HFilter it through fine blotting paper until ) the fyrup becomes perfectly clear.

<■ Ofoi $r2ttn

' ' ^e^tlution.

I cannot find any better proportions than

Pyrogallic Acid c grains 1 . ,

J. P, . . . . . , , mix and

Glacial Acetic Acid i drachm t r,

r^-n-n j filter

Dntuled water 2 oz. 1

When wanted for ufe mix in a 4 oz. glafs meafure one-third of this folution with two- thirds of filtered water, 'keeping the flronger

* My ufual plan is to iodife about 6 oz. of Collodion at a time — I fhake it well and then ftand it afide for two or three days, and for ufe pour about three or four ounces into a fmaller wide mouthed bottle without difturbing any fediment. There are obvious advantages in this plan.

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folution in a large bottle for occafional ufe when fome parts of the pidture, towards the clofe of the developing, require more ener- getic treatment.

The Fixing Solution.

I still adhere to a faturated folution of hypo- fulphite of foda ; but I find many of my friends ufe cyanide of potaflium (a molt deadly poifon) in the following proportions : — Cyanide of Potaflium io grains

Filtered water i oz.

B

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The Oxymel Procej

THE GLASS PLATES.

T is befb to prepare a number of glafs plates at once, but it muft be borne in mind that ordinary cleanfing will not fuffice. Take half a dozen (or a dozen) glafles of good quality, and with a piece of fand-ftone, — with notch cut in it to the depth of the eighth of an inch, — rough the furface of the glafs on each fide to the fmallefi: pofiible extent all round the edges. This is to caufe the col- lodion to adhere more fecurely to the plate, fo that in the repeated walhings it may not be torn.

Make a folution of Ammonias Liquor Tripoli Clean water

h oz- |

-t drachm mix

3oz. J

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and with a linen rag rub it hard over all the plates and fet them afide. Then taking each glafs in fucceffion dip it into a large bafin or tray of water, and with a clean linen rag rub off all the tripoli and fet the plate up to drain. Repeat this a fecond time with the cleaned: water and the cleaned: linen rag ; and as each glafs is dipped, with a proper fupply of clean linen cloth,* rub it quite dry and place it in the plate box, at the bottom of which it is ad- vifable to lay two or three folds of blotting paper.

There are many fubftitutes for the ammonia and tripoli fuch as pearl-afh, a weak folution of cyanide of potadium, any of which will anfwer the purpofe if the plates be well rubbed with the detergent, and then well rinfed in pure water as I have defcribed.

* Thefe cloths mull not be wafhed with foap.

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The Oxymel Procefs

OXYMEL PROCESS.

Preparation of the Glafs Plate.

S I have before faid, it is beft to prepare half a dozen or more plates at a time, as they will keep when coated with oxymel, for a week or fortnight without any deterioration. It is of the utmoft importance that the room in which the following operations are per- formed fhould be perfedbly clean and free from any duft. The following preparations will be needed : —

Nitrate of Silver bath.

Iodifed Collodion, at leaf! two days old.

Oxymel (diluted) in a gutta percha tray a little larger than the glafs plate.

Diftilled water, an abundance of.

A fecond gutta percha or porcelain tray.

Blotting paper.

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Lay a cleaned glafs-plate down on a flat furface covered with a clean cloth, and with a pneumatic holder, fuch as is now fold by

molt dealers* in photographic materials, take it up, and with a filk handkerchief rub the furface until a light breath upon it flies off in a moment. Coat the plate with collodion in the ufual way, but take care that the furface is covered in every part ; if a corner be left, water may get under the collodion and caufe ferious inconvenience. As foon as the col- lodion film is fet, plunge the plate into the Nitrate bath ; and from this time take the greatefl: care that no ray of light enters the dark room. If the fun fhould fhine upon the window, it is neceflary to fhade it with at

BOLTON

* See advertifements at the end.

i4	The Oxymel Procefs
	leaft five or fix thicknefles of yellow calico ; otherwife three are fufficient. When the collodion plate has remained two minutes in the Nitrate bath, raife it and lower it till the furface is quite free from any ftreaky appearance, and then allow the nitrate of filver to drain off into the bath until it ceafes to drip. Next lay the glafs plate, collodion-fide upwards, in a tray of diftilled water, and let it be for two or three minutes ; then pour off" the water, repeat the wafhing, and drain the plate pretty clofely. Tilt the tray containing the

oxymel with a wedge, lay the plate with its back upon the tray, and at the fame moment withdraw the wedge. This will caufe the oxymel to flow over the furface in one even wave, and this is of importance, as any uneven- nefs would tend to fpoil the pidlure. Let the plate lie in the oxymel for two minutes ; then tilt the tray again, and with great care lift

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the plate, and allow as much of the fluid to run off as is convenient ; then fet up the plate on a piece of blotting paper to drain ; and when the next glafs is ready, remove it to a fhelf lined with blotting paper, where it may remain till all are prepared.

When all the plates have been thus treated, and the lafl; has had fufficient time to drain, place them in a plate box,* lined with blotting paper at the bottom, and keep them where it is utterly impoflible for light to get to them.'f'

* Mr. Ottewill has invented a very convenient dark box, which will contain as many plates as are required ; and which fits into the back of the Camera in fuch a way that feveral piftures may be taken without the neceflity of having any dark chamber. — See advertifement at end.

f Turn the plate box in fuch a way that the plates lie on their backs, and take care the film is not torn in putting them in or taking them out.

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The Oxymel Procefs

If all free nitrate of filver is wafhed off the plates before they are immerfed in the oxymel it will keep for a confiderable time, and may be ufed over and over again. Should the oxymel become much difcoloured, it would be better to procure a frelh fupply.

Expofure in the Camera.

Collodion plates preferved with oxymel have been kept for more than a fortnight, and yet perfed pidlures have been obtained upon them. At what time they would become valuelefs, would depend, I apprehend, chiefly on the ftate of the weather.

When wanted for ufe, great care muft be taken that thofe parts of the camera-flide, which the glafs plates touch, are well var- nifhed ; and even then it would add to the fecurity of the plate if fmall pieces of blotting paper were fixed in the corners of the frame in fuch a way that the glafles cannot touch the wood in any part.

The time of expofure for an oxymel-plate may be faid to be five times that required, for the ufual collodion procefs. Dark obje&s.

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fuch as trees in the foreground, will want as much as ten minutes’ expofure with a Rofs’s Landfcape Lens, three inches in diameter with a diaphragm of i of an inch. A houfe in fun- lhine or a diftant landfcape will of courfe require much lefs time : but as all Photo- graphers well know, it is utterly impoffible to lay down any certain rules. Every one mull: be guided by experience.
Development of the Image.
The Oxymel plate may be developed at lei- fure. It will keep good after expofure for feveral days. Take great care that no white light enters your dark room, and that it is not dully. Be careful not to break the edge of the collodion film as you take out the plate. Lay it on the levelling Hand and cover it well with clean water, which may be immediately poured off. Take the ufual llrength of developing folution, add a few drops of Nitrate of Silver from the Bath,* and mix it well ; pour this evenly over the furface, and continue the de-
* It is better to keep a fmall bottle ready for this ufe.

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The Oxymel Procefs

velopment for fome time longer than is ufual with the ordinary procefs. The image ought to appear as vigorous and intenfe as in a wet collodion pidture taken under the fame cir- cumftances.

Fixing the Image.

When the image is brought out enough, wafh the plate freely with water, and fix it either with a faturated folution of Hypofulphite of foda, or Cyanide of Potaffium mixed in the proportion of i o grains to an ounce of water. When the Iodide of Silver is all dilfolved, wafh the plate for fome two or three minutes with an abundance of water, and fet it up to drain upon a piece of blotting paper.

Varnifh in g the Plate.

When the film is perfectly dry, with a moifl: cloth remove the edge of the film where the glafs has been ground, for about one-eighth of an inch all round and varnifh in the ufual way. I prefer the French varnifh fold by Gaudin and Co.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CANDLE- LIGHT.

S many Amateurs in Photography have but little fpare time during the day in which they can pradtife the various procefles, I think the following fuggeftion may be found ufeful : — Take three millboards, about twelve inches high by nine inches wide, and cut out a large piece, fay eight inches by five inches from the centre of each. Lay all three boards clofe together fide by fide, and having palled or glued them well, cover them entirely with

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The Oxymel Procefs

two thicknefles of yellow calico. Ornament them in any way you pleafe on the other fide. When fet up fo as to form a triangle this makes a moft excellent Photographic lantern* in which a candle may be placed, and by the light of which all the manipulations of the Oxymel procefs may fafely be conduced. When not in ufe this lantern will fold up and make a very good portfolio for paper, &c.

* Thefe lanterns are fold, ready made. — See adver- tifement at end.

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THE PRINTING PROCESS.

one of the Committee appointed by the Photographic Society to enquire into the belt method of printing and preferving Photo- graphs, I have lately devoted much attention to the fubjeft. With the able afliftance of Mr. Hardwich, the Committee have been enabled to determine fatisfadtorily, that, by the ufe of proper precautions, photographic prints may be rendered quite as permanent as water- colour drawings or copper-plate engravings. Even thefe will become faded and difcoloured if they are fubjedled to damp or the bright glare of the fun, — and fo doubtlefs will the belt printed photographs, — but no one ever allows a valued drawing to be ferved thus, and a photograph requires to be treated with the fame care as a drawing.

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The Printing Procefs

I adhere to three methods of printing, two of which I have long praCtifed, and which always give me fatisfaCtory refults, when I take pains. I fay this, for I really find that the fame watchful care is neceflary in the printing of even one good impreffion, as is wanted in the production of a firft-clafs nega- tive.

On Albumenized Paper.

No better paper than Canfon’s has yet been fupplied to photographers. I more frequently ufe the thin fort, termed the “ Negative it has a finer furface, gives brighter pictures, and is lels expenfive, but it is more eafily torn.

To albumenize this paper, I find it ufually more convenient to cut it in half.

Into a clean white bafin with a lip, put Chloride of Sodium 200 grains^ ,

Diftilled Water 10 oz. J ° V

and add

Whites of frefh Eggs 10.

Beat this well up into a froth with a bunch of quills or a wooden fork, then filter it through a piece of fine muflin to get rid of

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the fcum, and let it ftand for a few hours, protected from duft, until it becomes per- feiftly clear. When wanted for ufe, re-filter as much as is required and pour it into a flat porcelain difh, a little larger than the paper. Look carefully through all the fheets of paper you are about to albumenize, and with a pen- cil mark the fmooth fide (all papers have one fide fmoother than the other). Take the paper fheet by fheet, fold back about a quarter of an inch of one corner, and float the fmooth fide upon the albumen, placing one end of the paper on firft and gradually de- prefling it until it all lies upon the albumen, and taking great care to avoid air bubbles ; — let it lie for a minute or two, until it becomes perfectly flat, then raife it quickly by the turned-up corner ; let the albumen drain off, and then hang the paper up by two corners in fome warm room to dry. When all the fheets are albumenized, and all are perfectly dried, place them evenly and carefully be- tween two boards, lay a weight upon them, and there let them be until they are wanted for ufe. It is not neceflary to apply a heated iron, as fome photographers recommend.

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The Printing Procefs

1

I excite this paper by floating it, in the ufual way, upon a bath confiding of

Nitrate of Silver 60 grains"),, n- .

Drilled Water i oz. jdlilolve-

This mull be done in a yellow light. Let the paper (cut to the required fize) remain about two minutes upon the bath, then drain it and hang it up to dry by means of a wooden clip holding it at one corner. If you are printing extenfively,I would advife that trays be placed under the paper to catch the Nitrate of Silver that drips from them. I have found this a great faving, efpecially when I have been fenfitizing large fheets of paper. When the folution of Nitrate of Silver has become dis- coloured, it may be filtered through powdered pipe-clay and reftored to its original clearnefs.

When dry, the paper is now ready for ex- posure to light : — clean the glafs of the pref- fure frame well upon both fides, and if you are not provided with a pad of fmooth felt, which I find the beft thing, fold a few Sheets of blotting paper to nearly the fize of the preflure frame glafs. Take out the back- board, lay the negative, face upwards, upon the glafs ; place the paper, albumenized fide,

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upon it, cover thefe with the felt, and then replace the back-board, and fcrew it evenly till it is quite tight. It is now ready to be expofed to the light, either in the fun or in the fhade, according to circumftances. The pref- fure frame fhould have a hinged back-board, which allows you to look at one half of the pidture without difturbing the other half ; when the edges of the paper, which ufually projedt beyond the negative, have become darkened, examine the pidture to fee if it be fufficiently printed ; if not, let it remain till it alfumes a rather deeper tone than that you would like. An under-expofed, or any weak or thin-looking negative will print bell in the lhade ; but it is difficult to give any precife rule in this matter, it is better to try both ways.

When the pidture is fufficiently printed, remove it carefully from the frame — for if you pull it off violently, you will often fpoil the negative — and place it in a colouring bath made in the following way : — f lypofulphite of Soda 8 oz. | ^jq'0jve

Clean Water . 8 oz. J

Chloride of Gold 8 grains

Clean Water . 6 oz. J

D

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The Printing Procefs

Nitrate of Silver 60 grains 1 di{folve

Clean Water . i oz. j

Pour the folution of chloride of gold into the hypofulphite, ftirring with a glafs rod all the time, then add the nitrate of lilver.

Let the pidture lie in this bath, but move it about conftantly, to avoid ftains and air- bubbles, until it affumes the colour you like, then place it for about ten minutes in a fixing bath of

Hypofulphite of Soda 3 oz.

Clean Water . 16 oz.

and then if you are fortunate enough to be able, lay it in a difh through which a ftream of clear water can run for fix or eight hours. If this cannot be managed, lay each print feparately as it comes from the fixing bath in a tray of clean water for five minutes, then place it in a large and deep tray full of water, to which other prints may be added. At the end of an hour, pour off" the water to the laft drop and refill the tray. Repeat this fix or eight times during the next twenty-four hours, taking care that the prints are con-_ ftantly moved about, and that they do not

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flick to each other, and then, probably, all the hypofulphite will have been wafhed out ; but if you want to render your pictures per- fectly permanent, I would advife you to treat them as I did thofe which were reported upon by Mr. Hardwich* to the Committee of the Photographic Society. I have for a long time been imprefled with a belief that fo long as any of the fize remains in the paper, pho- tographs will be liable to fade. Some three years ago I tried the effeCt of pouring boiling water j~ upon prints that had previoufly been well wafhed, and in not one Angle inftance have I known a photograph fo treated to change colour afterwards in the leaft degree. It is true that the boiling water fometimes takes off the brightnefs of the picture ; but if the picture has been well toned, this may be reftored by ironing it while it is yet damp. A little practice, with careful jotting down of notes, will foon enable any photographer to adopt this certain method of rendering his pictures pleaflng and permanent.

* See Photographic Journal, No. 42.

t The prints fhould not be left in the boiling water more than fix or eight minutes.

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The Printing Procefs

By the Sel d’Or Procefs.

It is rather fingular, and not eafily accounted for, that negatives which yield but indifferent impreffions upon albumenized paper, will Jome- times give quite good pictures by the Sel d’Or procefs ; and, on the other hand, thofe which are unpleafing by the Sel d’Or, will come out vigorous and fine by the ufe of Albumen. I have more than once aftoniftied friends by printing their difcarded negatives in fuch a way as to make them doubt if I had not changed the glafs negative.

The Sel d’Or procefs is peculiarly adapted to portraits and fome kinds of landfcapes, but not to all. It requires much more careful watching than the Albumen paper ; but if you have a good negative to work with, it amply repays the trouble.

The belt paper for this procefs is the Pa- pier Saxe, or German Pofitive. It mud firft be falted. Take

Chloride of Ammonium ioo gr.) .-a- i

Clean Water . . 8 oz J ° VC

Purified Gelatine . 1 6 gr.']J./r)

„7 ttt 8 diffolve -

Warm Water . . 2 oz.J

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Mix thefe folutions, and float the paper (flnooth fide) only fo long as is required to caufe it to lie quite flat ; then hang it up to dry. Any quantity of paper thus prepared will keep good for any length of time.

Excite this paper on a 6o-grain folution of Nitrate of Silver in the fame way as the Al- bumen paper (fee page 24), and expofe it to light in the preflure frame, but do not over- print the picture one fhade deeper than that you wifh for.

When the picture has been fufficiently printed, put it in a difh and let a ftream of water run over it for a few minutes ; this is to remove the excefs of Nitrate of Silver ; then place it in a bath of

Liquor Ammonias 1 dram.

Clean Water . 1 pint,

and let it remain there till it aflumes a flight red tint (probably in about a minute). Wafh the picture again in clear water till it ceafes to feem of a milky hue, and then remove it to the colouring bath made as follows : —

Chloride of Gold . 4 grains) ve

Clean Water . 8 oz. J

3°

The Printing Procefs

Hypofulphite of Soda 12 grain8') ^j^p0jve Clean Water . 8 oz. J

Pour the folution of gold into the Hypo- fulphite.

Watch the pi<5ture carefully while in this bath, and in about ten or fifteen minutes it will afliime a proper colour ; if it be left in the bath too long the whites will turn yellow.

Wafh the pidture again for a minute, and then immerfe it in a bath of fimple Hypo- fulphite— 4 oz. to a pint of water, for about ten minutes. Then wafh it in the ufual way, and if you wifh it to be quite permanent, pour boiling water upon it, as I have before re- commended.

All the operations of this procefs are beft conduced in a room lhaded from bright light.

By the Ammonio-Nitrate Procefs.

This procefs is perhaps not fo eafy as thofe which I have juft defcribed ; but for fome kinds of portraits, copies of engravings, &c. it has its advantages. The beft paper to ufe _ is the Papier Saxe.

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To fait the paper, take

Chloride of Sodium 20 grains.

Clear Water . . 1 pint.

Place this in a flat difh and immerfe the paper, turn it over, and then hang it up to dry.

To make Ammonio-Nitrate of Silver, take

Nitrate of Silver i ao grains']

Diftilled Water . 2 oz. /

Add, drop by drop, good liquor Ammonias, ftirring the folution continually with a glafs rod until the precipitate which is formed is en- tirely rediflolved. Do not add more Ammo- nia than is juft fufficient to clear the folution. When it is bright, add three or four drops from your Nitrate of Silver bath, and then filter. Ammonio-Nitrate thus prepared, if kept from the light, will remain good for any time.

To fenfitize the paper. Lay the fheet of falted paper upon a board rather larger than itfelf covered with blotting ; incline the board gently, and with a large camels-hair brufh (fold for this purpofe), cover the paper with the folution of Ammonio-Nitrate, beginning along the top and working downwards. Re-

32

The Printing Procefs.

peat this acrofs the paper, and take care that it is evenly wetted all over. Let it lie for a minute and then hang it up by a wooden clip, in a darkened place, to dry.

In printing, expofe the paper thus prepared until it affumes a dark flate-blue. Fix and colour it in the fame way as Albumenized paper, and pay great attention to the walking.

To Mount Photographs.

I find nothing better than a folution of good Gela- tine or Gum Arabic, fuch as is ufually fold at the Druggifts. It muft be mixed nearly of the confift- ency of honey, and laid on to the back of the Pho- tograph as evenly and lightly as poffible, and then applied to the mounting-paper or cardboard dire£tly, and rubbed down well with a piece of blotting-paper over it. Jt fhould then be placed under a weight and allowed to remain fome hours.

If the Gum be thin, it will perhaps run through the paper, and tend to curl the mounting-paper or board.

C. WHITTINGHAM, TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE.

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