130 LIVERPOOL PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL.

Mr. Sheridan : I think that is an opinion

to believe to be, in certain states, (insoluble in water.
Proofs fixed in the ordinary way, occasionally, after a
which is gaining ground every day.
certain period, begin to fade, the mishap being attri¬
buted to an imperfect washing out of the hypo-sulphite
While the views were being handed round,
of silver, yhich may be seen by transmitted light, by Mr. Berry read the following paper on
that part of the picture being more opaque than “ Townshend’s Process:”—
elsewhere. I should feel extremely obliged to any It may appear something like apostacy, on
hind photographer for a better mode of fixing than
my part, appearing before you this evening a
the above. I see that I have omitted to state that
disciple of the waxed-paper process. Since on
after the bath of common salt, the picture should, as
usual, go through the hypo-sulphite of soda bath the last occasion I had the honour to address
until all the yellow iodide of silver be dissolved out.
you, I was endeavouring to prove that collo¬
I should like to learn whether any of your indus¬
dion was applicable especially in the production
trious photographers have tried the ceroleine process,
and with what results, also, whether those who haveof views. I leave my defence until I have
finished Townshend. All honour to Mr. Towns-
been in the practice of adding solution of gold to then-
fixing bath, have found their pictures to have failed
hend, for his very beautiful and simple process;
in then- permanency ?
and personally I feel grateful to him for, by
From all authors agreeing in the description of the
publication, placing it within my reach, and I
great disparity between the actinic rays of spring and
autumn, I have been surprised at being enabled to hope that I shall be able, by demonstrating
take pictures nearly, if not as well, in the latter as
the extreme simplicity of the process, to engage
in the former part of the year. I should be pleased
many to follow it out.
to learn by what means they were brought to the above
conclusion respecting the great difference of power The particular form I have hitherto adopted
of the two seasons in their actinic force. is as follows; and by reference to the original
Wishing you every success in all your undertakings,
paper it will be seen I have adopted the me¬
Believe me, my dear Sir,
dium proportions :—
Yours very faithfully,
To iodize the paper, take
HENRY HELE.
Iodide of potassium .600 grains.
The Chairman observed that he should be Bromide „ .200 „
rather afraid of following Mr. Hole’s sugges¬ Free Iodine . 6 ,,
tion as to brushing the print over after being
taken from the frame. When dissolved place in a flat dish, and im¬
Mr. Sheridan : That was suggested by Mr. merse the wax-paper sheet by sheet, taking
Gray, of Galway, i.e. to wash with water pre¬ care that each sheet is thoroughly imbued with
viously to the application of the gold. It the liquid before a second is inserted.
produces a blue colour, and invariably destroys This is a necessary precaution to avoid irre¬
the force of the picture. I am not in a posi¬ gularity in the impressions when developed.
tion to judge of the chemical properties alluded As a rule, I allow my papers to remain im¬
to : with me every thing is derived from expe¬ mersed in the iodizing hath longer than the
rience ; hut I have invariably found a want of method described by Mr. Townshend even
force in the pictures so washed. sanctions, as much as three or four hours after
Mr, Berry fully bore out Mr. Sheridan’s the immersion of the last, for which I have
observations, remarking that he never saw a certain reasons. Then pin them by one angle
rich picture which had been washed with to a shelf or other convenient receptacle to dry.
water previously to being put into the hypo¬ The next process: Sensitizing the paper I
sulphite hath. He believed that, to get a have taken some liberties with; being forced by
good tone, it was necessary to plunge it im¬ necessity so to do. The original form directs
mediately in the bath. that each sheet shall be immersed in the silver
Mr. Sheridan produced some beautiful bath, singly and alone eight minutes, the
photographs on wax-paper, observing that, formula of the silver hath being as follows, and
with regard to some of them, in order to com¬ which is the hath I have used:—
promise the matter with Mr. Howard (who, Nitrate of silver.30 grains.
at a previous meeting, had advocated half¬ Glacial acetic acid.30 minims, or drops.
tints,) he had turned down the edge of the Water. 1 oz.
paper, which, by allowing the light to go After the prescribed immersion, remove into
down gradually, softened the picture very another dish of distilled water, and immerse
materially. them also for eight minutes ; then if the paper
The Chairman remarked that some of the be required to keep more than the second day,
photographs produced shewed that minute another immersion for the same time, in ano¬
correctness of detail could he obtained by the ther water hath, is necessary : thus involving
wax process as vvell as by collodion. I the use of three separate dishes.
 LIVERPOOL PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL. 131

I took fwo dishes with me, but alas, at the Such is the certainty of the process that no
outset of my labours, I broke one ; the neces¬ one ought to have a single failure; and
sary consequence was that I had to make one although I have to record as many failures as
dish do the work of three. Hereupon I took successful results, yet I can endorse each
‘council with myself, and having found the fol¬ failure with the particular reason why I did
lowing summary process answer all my need, not produce a successful result. And now a
I have adhered to it ever since :— word for collodion.
I placed one paper in the silver bath, and I am sure that had I taken my collodion
allowed the chocolate brown of the iodized apparatus I should have produced a greater
paper to be completely converted into the pure number of pictures and of a better quality. I
primrose colour of the iodide of silver ; then I acknowledge the collodion process has its
have immersed a second sheet of the iodized difficulties, but I here assert that in a given
paper, observing the same precautions, and time I will produce more negatives by the
thus have gone on until six or seven sheets, collodion process than is possible by the waxed-
according to my expected consumpt were sen¬ paper process ; for I never developed a picture
sitized. I waited eight minutes from the time on waxed-paper in less than an hour, and fre¬
the last .sheet became yellow, and then poured quently have prolonged the operation all night.
off the silver solution, draining until no drops For fixing I use a solution of cyanide of
fell; I then poured on water until the dish potassium, ten grains to the ounce.
was nearly full, and by agitation separated each A Member inquired whether Mr. Berry
sheet, so that the water flowed between them adhered to bromide of calcium.
freely. After half an hour I poured off this Mr. Berry : I am using now, for the sake
water, and repeated the affusion for about ten of economy, iodide of potassium alone. This
minutes, and then pinned the papers up to (producing it) is the portable bath. I have now
dry, and when perfectly dry preserved in a five prints in it, and it will receive another
portfolio or other case. The papers so pre¬ print without overflowing, with the plates in it.
pared will keep perfectly good for ten or twelve The Chairman produced several wax-
days; and I have found them to be quite as paper negatives taken by himself, which Mr.
sensitive at the expiration of that period as Berry had developed; and some positives
when first sensitized. which Mr. Sheridan had been kind enough to
The time of exposure with an ordinary print for him.
view lens of 19 inches focus, 3 inches diameter, Mr. Berry said another observation had
and f inch diaphragm, varies from 1 minute come casually under his notice that clay. There
to three in sunshine, and in shadow up to half was a photograph in the exhibition—of the
an hour. Crucifixion he believed—of a peculiar tone,
I have now arrived at the development of which had been very much admired. That clay
the image, and it is here, more than at any he had been waited upon by a gentleman who
other point, that failures have occurred. asked him if he had any positive wax-paper.
It has been accepted universally hv photo¬ He thought the querist must he labouring
graphers, that 1 oz. of water dissolves 4 grains under a mistake, hut that gentleman assured
of gallic acid; and it has been assumed that him that he had seen in Sanford’s list that
if we take, say 8 grains of gallic acid, and they had positive and negative wax-paper. He
shake it up for some minutes in the one further said that it was used iu printing, and
ounce of water, we obtain a saturated solution adduced the picture of the Crucifixion as an
of gallic acid. Never was there a greater example. The great advantage of using this
error; and many a fine picture has been description of paper was, that it subdued the
spoiled by the hasty preparation of the solu¬ glare which they had in albumenized paper.
tion of gallic acid. Mr. Sheridan said that in photography, as
I would impress the following precautions : in every thing else, there was “nothing new
1st, Be sure that the gallic acid solution is under the sun;” he himself having but a few
saturated either by prolonged agitation and hours since tried experiments on paper of this
subsequent repose, or by solution in hot water description, for the purpose of producing
or in spirits of wine. transparencies, which he found were sooner
To this saturated solution I add at once obtained than by the ordinary process. He
J-grain of nitrate of silver to 1 oz. of solution, had certainly not succeeded so well as he ex¬
and a proportion of acetic acid varying from pected, but hoped to obtain good results by salt¬
nothing up to five drops, depending on the ing his paper with 8 grs. of salt, and then
character of the exposure in the camera. saturating them in the nitrate of silver hath..