A perfect substitute for glass as a support for gelatine bromide of silver for use in photography

A perfect substitute for glass as a support for gelatine bromide of silver for use in photography

478 Carbttl! : [J. F. I.. A I'ERI"F, CT S U B S T I ' F U T I B F()l< ( ) I , A S S 4r~S ~ S ~; I~. P ( ) R T F(;a G E L A ' P I N t ?, B R ( ) M I...

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478

Carbttl! :

[J. F. I..

A I'ERI"F, CT S U B S T I ' F U T I B F()l< ( ) I , A S S 4r~S ~ S ~; I~. P ( ) R T F(;a G E L A ' P I N t ?, B R ( ) M I I ) E ()F" S I I ~ V E R i.'(}l< usH E.x P I I ( ) T ( ) ( ; - R A P I I Y . By .IN(). CaaBur'r.

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Vicc-I'rcsident Ct~.\s. BI:I.I,~(:I<, in the Chair. N{, so<}ncr h a d the g c ] a t i n e d r y p]~tte process become established, disl)lacin M by its g r e a t e r s e n s i t i v e n e s s and convcnicncc the (~1(] wet all(1 dry collodion m e t h o d , t h a n experim e n t s were c o m m e n c e d to find a suita]~)]e .qubstitute f-r .~l~tss, the w e i g h t of w h i c h h a s p r o v e d a g r e a t itaconvenic n L ' c to, travellers, with the d r e a d a l w a y s p r e s e n t that their ~eXlX,.~cd plates (}r n e g a t i v e s m i g h t g e t broken ; a dread, in m a n y instances, only too i)ainfu]]y realized. Before proc c e d i n g t,~ describe t h e m a t e r i a ] I h a v e f o u n d to be "t perfect s u b s t i t u t e for g ] a s s , as u s e d in p h o t o g r a p h y , I will briefly pass in r e v i e w a few of t h e s u b s t i t u t e s s u g g e s t e d and m a d e use of, and note the o b j e c t i o n s to them. In TSSo, M. Ferrier, of Paris, p a t e n t e d a c o m p o u n d film ()f g e l a t i n e and c{}l]odion. T h e o b j e c t i o n to t h i s film was the unc(llml expansi{)n of the g e l a t i n e a n d co]lodion, cansing t]~(~ ]:~ttcr t() c:1"ci(_'1£. It. 1. I}almcr, M.A., (,f I,iverpool, in I881, proposed a film (}17gclatinc? and {)x-ga]l, with a second tilm {)f plain gc]atinc. St{q)l>ing-, (}f l)al"is, 1)r,.,duced g c ] a t i n e l:}romide fi]ms {m a pu']]iclc {~l" gE'latine, t](}t]] this a n d the P a h n e r tilm proved (Icfcctiv{: from the liM)i]itv ()f th{: f]ln~ try e x p a n d while in thee de\e](q)ing s{}lution, S()l]lCtilTleS t() n e a r ] y d(ml)le the area {)t" the dry fihn.. \\'ttl"i]erl,:e, of t~orid()l-l, p r o d u c e d fi]ms of a l t e r n a t e ]a).ers (}f r u b b e r a n d collodion. I}umphre) ,, of B i r m i n g h a m , as early as 1882, produced films on paper.

for Glass.

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t)eC., 1888.]

419

Morgan & Kidd, of London, coated paper for bromide cl~.largements, and the same was used for paper negatives, }~ut the grain of the paper proved objectionable. The late \Valter B. \Voodbury devoted a great deal of ti~nc in t r y i n g to produce a transi)arent paper as a support, when death overtook him. tIis partner, \ ' e g a r a , took it up, ~<1 iina]lv p]aced such f]hns on the market, only to be ~!~,,~'tly w i t h d r a w n , to be replaced by a film of hardened ,~.ck~tinc, the invention of F. C. Fr{)edman, of Dublin. His n .th }{1 consists in m i x i n g 1)ichromate of potash with gela,{~c .~preading (m g'lass, drying', e.xposing to light, washing i~q t)]ain water, then 1)lcachiug in a dilute solution of sul: , h u n u ~ acid, again wasl~ino, dryinG" and coating with sen>itivc cmulsi(m. The ~t>jccthm to this film is its extreme l{,nlmcss when wet, and pr~l)cnsity to assume any shape but a tlat one on drying'. These were followed in America > . 'N paper negative, m a d e trans!,x the E a s t m a n C.ornpanv," lucent with castor-oil, and while p r i n t i n g quicker than paper m>oi]ed, the objectionable grain of the paper marred tl~c result. Xext we have the" stripping film of the same company, which np to the present time has proved the best s u b s t i t u t e fl,r glass, a l t h o u g h in m a n y instances the grain of the paper sl~ows in the finished negative. T h e objection made by users of this material is the great risk of loss of negatives in the after-process of stripping the exposed film from its paper support and the time occupied in the same. I wilt read from their instructions as published in 5"cicncc of tVzae,,~,ra//(~, (Vol. t, pp. 11, ~2): "),/ye~pz/e~,,..... i a k e as m a n y sheets of glass as you have :~cg-adves to strip, each one a size larger t h a n the negatives. , ,~,m, and when dry coat with a rubl)er solution, which can ;>c either b o u g h t already prepared off c.an be made as Oz. Rubber

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"' Place the plates in a rack to dry until 'dead,' w h i c h

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will take al)~)ttt live nlinutes. solution : "/V(~z)l (.)~/k)tk'on.Ether, Alcohol

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":ks so{m -is set wash undel" the tap until the g r e a s y l i n e s disappear. T h i s {s t<) r e m o v e t h e e t h e r a n d a]cohol. T h e ~ place tile glass in a t r a y half-full of cold w a t e r , k e e p i n g hold of one end with t h e left h a n d . P u t t h e n e g a t i v e int,> the dish face down, p r e s s u n d e r the w a t e r a n d g u i d e t h e e n d n e a r e s t t h e h a n d h o l d i n g the glass, s() as to clasp t h e n e g a tive w i t h t h a t h a n d , t h e n raise t h e cud of the p l a t e o u t {ff the water, t h u s a l l o w i n g t h e w a t e r to c a r r y t h e a i r f r o m u n d e r the n e g a t i v e . S q u e e g e e t h e n e g a t i v e d o w n , w h i c h s h o u l d be d o n e w i t h l i g h t p r e s s u r e for the first +few s t r o k e s . a n d t h e n p u t it u n d e r b l o t t i n g p a p e r w i t h a n o t h e r s h e e t o f glass o v e r that, a n d a w e i g h t of s a y e i g h t or ten p o u n d s o n it. A l l o w it to r e m a i n u n d e r p r e s s u r e for t e n m i n u t e s . N o w take a t r a y half filled w i t h w a r m xvater at a t e m p e r a t u r e of a b o u t I Io ° F., or s u c h as will feel c o m f o r t a b l e to t h e h a n d s . T h e d i r e c t i o n s s e n t o u t w i t h t h e films, s a y i n g t o use w a t e r at i2o ° to I4o °, I h a v e f o u n d to b e m u c h t o o h o t . "Place the glass plate with the negative thereon into the w a r m w a t e r , and, a f t e r g e n t l y r o c k i n g a c o u p l e of m i n u t e s , t r y one c o r n e r b y p i c k i n g it u p w i t h finger-nail or a pin. If it d o e s n o t s t a r t r e a d i l y do n o t t r y to h a s t e n it, for as s o o n as t h e w a t e r h a s s o f t e n e d t h e s u b s t r a t u m t h e p a p e r w i l l c o m e off easily. A f t e r t h e p a p e r is r e m o v e d r a i s e t h e p l a t e f r o m the water, w a s h off t h e r e m a i n i n g s o f t g e l a t i n e w i t h a t u f t of c o t t o n or c a m e l - h a i r b r u s h d i p p e d in w a r m w a t e r , a n d set t h e p l a t e in a r a c k to cool. T)o n o t c h a n g e f r o m t h e w a r m w a t e r to t h e "cold too q u i c k l y , as a s u d d e n c h a n g e o f t e m p e r a t u r e will frill t h e g e l a t i n e . " A f t e r t h e n e g a t i v e is cool p l a c e it in a p a n of c o l d w a t e r , h o l d i n g t h e fingers u n d e r o n e e n d of t h e p l a t e . T a k e a g e l a t i n e skin a n d slide i n t o t h e w a t e r , s m o o t h s i d e d o w n _ Clasp t h e e n d of t h e s k i n w i t h t h e h a n d h o l d i n g t h e g l a s s .

Dec., 1888.]

.~zl/~stilz~&' for (;lass.

48!

and with the other h a n d press the skin under the ~ a t e r . _As soon as the skin is immersed raise the end of the plate slowly, which allows the water to carry the air from between the skin and negative. " I n p]acing the skin on the negative do not atlow it to remain in the water more t h a n t h i r t y seconds or a minute, as the water will soak out the glycerine, and the skin when dry will become brittle. To avoid this tendency it is well to put about ten per cent. of glycerine into the w a t e r used for t h a t purpose, or perhaps better vet is a solution of equal parts of wood alcohol and water, which m a y be kept in a bottle and used from time to time. " W i t h a wet squeegee go over the skin carefully until all the wrinkles are removed, when allow the negative to dry thoroughly, and flow with plain collodion. As soon as this is dry, cut around the edge and peel from the glass. The rubber a d h e r i n g can be removed with a tuft of cotton dipped in benzine. " T h e negative w h e n completed has a coating of collodion on b o t h sides. T h i s forms a protection against moisture, and gives the n e g a t i v e greater flexibility. I am frequently asked, are the films quick e n o u g h for i n s t a n t a n e o u s work? In reply, I say, most assuredly, yes. A short t i m e ago I made some 8XlO negatives of the New York a n d Philadelphia Express g o i n g at the rate of forty miles an hour. I was on the shadow side, but the negatives were f u l l y timed and showed remarkable detail in the deepest shadows. T h e train was perfectly sharp, and the driving rod of t h e engine plain and distinct. " P o t interiors, or a n y work where halation is liable to occur, films are vastly superior to a n y glass plates, as they do not show halation. I have m a n y negatives g i v i n g unquestionable proof of this." ~l'he substance I h a v e the honor to bring to y o u r notice to-night is thin sheet celluloid, m a n u f a c t u r e d by the Celluloid M a n u f a c t u r i n g Company, of Newark, N. J. It is some three or four years since I first e x a m i n e d into this material, b u t the m a n u f a c t u r e r s had not t h e n perfected the finish of it to render it available, and it is only during

482

L)trb,/t.

[ J. F. I..

this y ear that it has been p r o d u c e d u n i f o r m in t h i c k n e s s and finish, and i am now us i n~ at m y f a c t o r y l arge quantities ()f s h eet celluloid u of an i nch in thickness, coat ed with the same emulsion as used on glass, f o r m i n g flexible n e g ativ e films, the m o s t c o m p l e t e and p e r f e c t substit~lte for ~lrtss I believe vet discovered on which to m a k e n e g a t { v e s and l~,)siti\cs, and witlnout a singlc objectioin t}elong'ing to ll~c substances pr(~\'i~msly e n u m e r a t e d . Its w e i g h t as c,m?pared with ,~lass, is as fol l ow s: Tw~,ntv-f(,ur 5x,q tlcxib]c fihns weigh seven and one-half ,~unc~,s, whih: t w e n t y - f o u r 5 x g glass dry plates w ei gh from ~x(-) t,~ ~2oounccs; and its ~reat m e r i t does not only lie in its ]ightncss, t~,ughncss &l](~ llexibi]ity, b u t in t h a t its treatmel~t in dcvcqopmcnt, etc., is precisely t h a t of a glass plate. T h e r e is absolutc]y no after-princess required. W h e n t he negative is washed it is h u n g tl]) ])v a spring-clip to dr),, and is then r~:adv to be p r i n t e d from, and, ow i ng to its thinness, ca~ ])c p r i n t e d :from t h e reverse side, if t h e precaution is taken to use onl y ve r t i cal rays. Makers of p h o t o g r a p h i c a p p a r a t u s arc ah'cady p r o d u c i n g light-weight ho]ders to car r y t h e s e films, and I trove no d o u b t m a g a z i n e holders will be p r o d u c e d in which t h i r t y to fifty fi]ms can be carried a n d exposed. I h av e here an old c h a n g i n g b o x I used t w e n t y y e a r s ago, in which, b y a simple device to hold the films and allow ,~f c h a n g i n g f r om box to holder, I can c a rry e i g h t e e n fitms. I h av e here several n e g a t i v e s m a d e on t h e films and prints f r o m them, t h a t m e m b e r s can e x a m i n e at close of mcetino. I wi]l now show on the screen l a n t e r n t r a n s p a r e n c i e s from film negatives, both COlltact, and re(bleed {n tlTe C~I.I]IC1"&.

WAYNe Jt;x(:rmx, A'ove.~bcr ¢2, rSgg.