American Hand Book of the Daguerreotype [0]
American Hand Book of the Daguerreotype
GIVING THE MOST APPROVED AND CONVENIENT METHODS FOR PREPARING THE CHEMICALS, AND THE COMBINATIONS USED IN THE ART. CONTAINING THE DAGUERREOTYPE, ELECTROTYPE, AND VARIOUS OTHER PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN TAKINGHELIOGRAPHIC IMPRESSIONS. BY S. D. HUMPHREY Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by S. D. HUMPHREY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. To J. GURNEY, WHOSE PROFESSIONAL SKILL, SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY, AND ENERGETIC PERSEVERANCE, HAVE WON FOR HIM UNIVERSAL ESTEEM, THIS WORK IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. PREFACE.
There is not an Amateur or practical Daguerreotypist, who has not felt the want of a manual--Hand Book, giving concise and reliable information for the processes, and preparations of the Agents employed in his practice.
Since portraits by the Daguerreotype are at this time believed to be more durable than any other style of "Sun-drawing," the author has hit upon the present as being an appropriate time for the introduction of the Fifth Edition of this work. The earlier edition having a long since been wholly; exhausted, the one now before you is presented.
The endeavor has been to point out the readiest and most approved Methods of Operation, and condense in its pages; as much practical information as its limits will admit. An extended Preface is unnecessary, since the aim and scope of this work are sufficiently indicated by the title.
S. D. HUMPHREY NEW YORK, 1858.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Polishing the Daguerreotype Plate--Buffing the Plate--Coating the Plate-- Exposure of the Plate in the Camera--Position Developing the Daguerreotype-- Exposure to Mercury--Removing the Coating--Gilding or fixing the Image-- Coloring Daguerreotype, . . . . . 18
CHAPTER II.
Coloring Back Grounds--Transparent ditto--Gilding Dissolvent-- Solution for removing Specks--Solarized Impression--To Purify Water-- Cleaning Mercury--Adhesive Paper--Black Stain for Apparatus-- Sealing Wax for Bottles--Rouge--Rotten Stone--Potassa Solution-- Hyposulphite Solution--Substitute for do.--Gilding Solution-- Solution for increasing the Brilliancy of the Daguerreotype-- Bleaching Solution;--Cold Gilding--Neutralizing Agents-- Buff Dryer--Keeping Buffs in order--Cleaning Buckskins-- Reflector for taking Views, . . . .52
CHAPTER III.
Bromine and its Compounds--Iodine and its Compounds-- Chlorine and its Compounds--Cyanide of Potassium-- Hyposulphite of Soda--Hyphosulphite of Gold--Nitric Acid-- Nitro-Muriatic Acid--Hydrochloric Acid--Hydrofluoric Acid-- Sulphuric Acid--Accelerating Substances--Liquid Sensitives-- Dry Sensitives, etc., etc., . . . . .72
CHAPTER IV.
Light--Optics--Solar Spectrum--Decomposition of Light--Light, Heat, and Actinism--Blue Paper and Color for the Walls of the Operating Room-- Proportions of Light, Heat and Actinism composing a Sunbeam-- Refraction--Reflection--Lenses--Copying Spherical Aberration-- Chromatic Aberration, . . . 131
CHAPTER V.
To make Plates for the Daguerreotype--Determining the Time of Exposure in the Camera--Instantaneous Process for Producing Daguerreotype-- Galvanizing the Daguerreotype Plate--Silvering Solution-- Daguerreotype without Mercury--Management of Chemicals-- Hints and Cautions--Electrotyping--Crayon Daguerreotypes-- Illuminated Daguerreotypes--Natural Colors in Heliography-- Multiplying Daguerreotypes on one Plate--Deposit in Gilding-- Practical Hints on the Daguerreotype, . . . 149
CHAPTER VI.
An Account of Wolcott and Johnson's Early experiments in the Daguerreotype, . . . 188
AMERICAN HAND-BOOK of THE DAGUERREOTYPE.
CHAPTER I.
Polishing the Daguerreotype Plate--Buffing the Plate--Coating