Notes and Queries, Number 181, April 16, 1853

    Jas. Crossley.

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES AND QUERIES

Colouring Collodion Portraits.—I shall be obliged if any brother photographer will kindly inform me, through the medium of "N. & Q.," the best method of colouring collodion portraits and views in a style similar to the hyalotypes shown at the Great Exhibition.

We country photographers are much indebted to Dr. Diamond for the valuable information we have obtained through his excellent papers in "N. & Q.," and perceiving he is shortly about to give us the benefit of his experience in a compact form, under the modest title of Photographic Notes, I suggest that, if one of his Notes should contain the best method of colouring collodion proofs, so as to render them applicable for dissolving views, &c., he will be conferring a benefit on many of your subscribers; and, as one of your oldest, allow me to subscribe myself

    Photo.

On some Points in the Collodion Process.—In your impression of this day's date (Vol. vii., p. 363.), the Rev. J. L. Sisson desires the opinion of other photographers relative to lifting the plate with the film of collodion up and down several times in the bath of nit. silv. solution; and as my experience on this point is diametrically opposed to his own, I venture to state it with the view of eliciting a discussion.

The evenness of the film is not at all dependent upon this practice; but its sensibility to light appears to be considerably increased.

The plate, after being plunged in, should be allowed to repose quietly from twenty to thirty minutes, and then rapidly slid in and out several times, until the liquid flows off in one continuous and even sheet of liquid; and this also has a beneficial effect in washing off any little particles of collodion, dust, oxide, or any foreign matter which, if adherent, would form centres of chemical action, and cause spottiness in the negative.

I find that the plate is more sensitive also, if not exposed before all the exciting fluid that can be drained off is got rid of; that is, while still quite moist, but without any flowing liquid.

As to redipping the plate before development, it is, I believe, in general useless; but when the plate has got very dry it may be dipped again, but should be then well drained before the developing solution is applied.

Mr. F. Maxwell Lyte (p. 364.) quotes the price of the purest iodide of potassium at 1s. 3d. per oz. I should be glad to know where it can be obtained, as I find the price constantly varies, and upon the last occasion I paid 4s. per oz., and I think never less than 1s. 8d.

Mr. L. Merritt will probably succeed in applying the cement for a glass bath thus:—Place the pieces of glass upon wood of any kind in an oven with the door open until he can only just handle them; then, with a roll of the cement, melting the end in the flame of a spirit-lamp, apply it as if for sealing a letter. This should be done as quickly as possible. The glasses may then be passed over the flame of the lamp (in contact with it), so as to raise the temperature, until the cement is quite soft and nearly boiling (this can be done without heating the parts near the fingers); and while hot the two separate pieces should be applied by putting one down on a piece of wood covered with flannel, and pressing the other with any wooden instrument: metal in contact would cause an instantaneous fracture.

Mr. Merritt's difficulty with the developing solutions depends most probably in the case of the pyrogallic acid mixture not having enough acetic acid. The protonitrate of iron, if made according to Dr. Diamond's formula, does not require any acetic acid, and flows quite readily; but the protosulphate solution requires a bath, and the same solution may be used over and over again.

    Geo. Shadbolt.

London, April 9, 1853.

Economical Iodizing Process.—Mr. Maxwell Lyte is probably as good a judge as myself, as to where any weak point or difficulty is found in iodizing paper with the carbonate of potass: if any chemical is likely to be the cause of unusual activity, it is the carbonic acid, and not the cyanide of potash. I still continue to use that formula, and have not iodized paper with any other: though I have made some variations which may perhaps be of use. I found that the nitrate of potash is almost the same in its effects as the carbonate. I would as soon use the one as the other; but the state I conceive to be the most effective, is the diluted liquor potassæ: that would be with iodine about the same state as the iodide of potash, but hitherto I have not tried it, though mean to do so.

I am not quite certain as to whether, theoretically, this position is right; but I find in iodide of potash, and in the above formula, that the iodine is absorbed in greater quantities by the silver, than the alkaline potash by the nitric acid. Thus, by using a solution for some time, it will at last contain but very little iodine at all, and not enough for the purpose of the photographer; hence it requires renewing. And I have lately observed that paper is much more effective, in every way, if it is floated on free iodine twice before it is used in the camera, viz. once when it is made, and again when it is dry: the last time containing a little bromine water and glacial acetic acid. It appears to me that the paper will absorb its proper dose of iodine better when dry, and the glacial acetic acid will set free any small amount of alkaline potash there may be on the surface; so that it will not embrown on applying gallic acid. By using the ammonio-nitrate of silver in iodizing, and proceeding as above, I find it all I can wish as far as regards the power of my camera. With this paper I can use an aperture of half an inch diameter, and take anything in the shade and open air in five or six minutes, in the sun in less time. The yellow colour also comes off better in the hypo. sulph.

I think Mr. Maxwell Lyte has made a mistake as to the price he quotes: about here I cannot get any iodide of potash under 2s. per ounce, and the five grains to the ounce added to the common dose of nitrate of silver is hardly worth speaking of; it would amount, in fact, to about fifteen grains in a quire of Whatman's paper,—no great hardship, because many use much higher doses of silver for iodizing; forty grains to the ounce is not uncommonly used, but I believe twenty-five grains quite enough.

I presume, in Sir Wm. Newton's mode of treating positives, the acid of the alum decomposes the alkali of the hypo. sulph. And it would be, I suppose, better for the picture, if its state were entirely neutral when put away or framed; but if alum is added, acid must remain, since Sir Wm. says it combines with the size. What I should imagine is, that the idea is good; but experience can only decide if the picture is better put away in an acid condition. I should think there are more available acids for the purpose, for alum has an injurious effect upon colour; and a positive is nothing but colour, the organic matter of the paper stained as it were by the silver: for, after all its washings and application of re-agents, no silver can possibly remain in the paper. The safest state therefore of putting away ought to be ascertained and decided upon; as it is no use doing them if they fade, or even lose their tones.

    Weld Taylor.

N.B.—The iodized ammonio-nitrate paper will not bear exposure to the sun; it will keep any length of time, but should be kept in a paper, and away from any considerable degree of light.

Replies to Minor Queries

Bishop Juxon's Account of Vendible Books in England (Vol. vi., pp. 515. 592.).—The following note in Wilson's History of the Merchant Taylors' School, p. 783., solves the Query respecting the authorship of this bibliographical work.

"The Catalogue of Books in England alphabetically digested, printed at London, 1658, 4to., is ascribed to Bishop Juxon in Osborne's Catalogue for 1755, p. 40. But, as Mr. Watts, the judicious librarian of Sion College, has observed to me, this is no authority, the Epistle Dedicatory bearing internal evidence against it. The author's name was William London, whence arose the mistake!"

    J. Yeowell.

Hoxton.

Dutensiana (Vol. vi., p. 376.; Vol. vii., p. 26.).—The following statement, extracted from Quérard's France Littéraire, sub voce Dutens, will account for the discrepancies mentioned by your correspondents with reference to the works of Louis Dutens.

Dutens published three volumes of Memoirs, which he afterwards committed to the flames, out of consideration for certain living characters. He then published, in three volumes, his Mémoires d'un Voyageur qui se repose, the two first containing the author's life, and the third being the Dutensiana.

Your correspondent W. (Vol. vi., p. 376.) says that Dutens published at Geneva, in six volumes 4to., with prefaces, the entire works of Leibnitz. This statement is thus qualified by the Biographie Universelle:

"L. Dutens est l'Editeur de Leibnitii opera omnia, mais c'est à tort que quelques bibliographes lui attribuent les Institutions Leibnitiennes. Cet ouvrage est de l'Abbé Sigorgne."

The same correspondent inquires whether Dutens was not also the author of Correspondence inteceptée: and Sir W. C. Trevelyan (Vol. vii., p. 26.) says he had seen a presentation copy of it, although it is not included in the list of Dutens' Works given by Lowndes.

This is explained by the fact that the work, originally published under the title of Correspondence interceptée, was afterwards embodied in the Mémoires d'un Voyageur. Lowndes seems to have had no knowledge of it as a separate publication.

    Henry H. Breen.

St. Lucia.

Vicars-Apostolic (Vol. vii., pp. 309, 310.).—Allow me to correct an error or two in my list of the vicars-apostolic, which appeared in your 178th Number, p 309. The three archpriests were appointed to their office, not consecrated.

P. 309.—Northern District. Bishop Witham was consecrated 1703, not 1716. He was translated from the Midland to the Northern District in 1716.

P. 310.—In the list of the present Roman Catholic prelates in England and Wales, the bishops—from Archbishop Wiseman to Bishop Hendren inclusive—were translated in 1850, not consecrated.

    J. R. W.

Bristol.

Tombstone in Churchyard (Vol. vii., p. 331.).—In Ecclesfield churchyard is the following inscription, cut in bold capitals, and as legible as when the slab was first laid down:

"Here lieth the bodie of Richard Lord, late Vicar of Ecclesfield, 1600."

If, however, A. C.'s Query be not limited to slabs in the open air, he will probably be interested by the following, copied by me from the floors of the respective churches, which are all in this neighbourhood. The first is from the unused church of St. John at Laughton-le-Morthing, near Roche Abbey, and is, according to Mr. Hunter, one of the earliest specimens of a monumental inscription in the vernacular:

"Here lyeth Robt. Dinningto' and Alis his wyfe. Robert dyed ī y

fest of San James M

ccc iiij

xiij

. Alis dyed o' Tisday ī Pas. Woke, a

Dn̅i M

ccc

xxx