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Emulsion Archive: Wilsons Quartes Century - 1887

[this text, describing the evolution of emulsion technology in the early years is extracted from the 'History of Photography' by Josef Maria Eder, fourth edition (1932), translation by Edward Epstean]

This is the dry plate section from Edward L Wilson's 1887 text 'Wilsons Quarter Century in Photography', subtitled 'a collection of hints on practical photography which form a complete textbook of the art'. What makes it particularly useful are the extensive notes from around 300 workers of the time - these are included as supplementary html pages linked from the heading of each section. While in the original book the notes and main text ran through the book with tenuous connection, in this web version they are for the first time clearly linked! 120 years too late... The number of each section is the original numbering from the book, the dry-plate section starting at 147.

More about emulsion archive:

147

If this work was intended to serve as a history, many a long chapter could be filled with the details of the brave crusades made against the wet collodion negative process by the knights of the camera who have so generously fought for our mutual freedom. More than once, at the expense of much toil and experiment, a new ruler has been raised to the throne, only to become unpopular and to witness a return to the old rule, which continued to be the favorite. Chloro-bromide emulsion, chloro-iodo-bromide, collodio-bromide, and collodio-albumen emulsion, were among those which promised most for a successful reign, but their time was short. The bromo-gelatine process had been offered for some time, and, gradually gaining supporters, at last ascended the throne. It has apparently come to stay. A great many rebelled against it at first, but its more loyal subjects remained firm, until by comparing notes and giving of what they knewn they have won almost universal fealty to a process which it is almost unanimously agreed is a very satisfactory substitute for the old method. The bath holder and the dipper are hung upon the dark-room wall as trophies of past battles, with no less affection than the old time Crusader felt when he hung up his sword and shield. All plate rubbing, collodion flowing, sensitizing and so on, are done away with. The sensitized plates are received from the manufacturer ready for exposure in the camera. Or, if the manipulator prefers it, he may prepare an emulsion, coat his glass plates with it, and set them aside for use whenever it agrees with his inclination, be it weeks or months or years. Moreover, he can expose them to-day and develop them a year hence, should it suit his convenience. Again, the greatest latitude in the matters of exposure and development are possible, and, when touring it there is freedom from great weight of apparatus and appliances.

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