Volltext Seite (XML)
18®. sar, eutd chloride O- have tak® cannot tel ctedinthe glass rod, 05 ogallic acid ie plate an® M’and 13, Rue de printin?' "neasab webe I there fe" ■ Poiteris? g it throe? solutien.3 isedisl* partide, in veq 3 in con® >es prov ed water, have rata es cr !S2 way inj ) the sial sawP, lions io” bjedtg on natth ttical 85’ shotogrn I is di«? to A. 1 the p®® eyond ester» qhe him., the on withj- veryint asing. r ts have Ps ate str xposed 2F cleaner be mad:” um,2g, e made j nay bes niousPi y I •es mald ' hieflytA I ie tena 1 ind i° 5 in they ith verjy • inotr” atasie served.d n, but Pf zlad to”, .oom, de’" goodc nilar to ( f choissy Ve wee, igh;b". be va] i existd it 1eb-Ze I mustd yol qt j oco"0 lion, re U® n - e s con" T etween is are PI THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS Vol. VI. No. 206.—August 15,1862. perfect results. Ho persevered, tied to his complete satisfaction. romise to communicate them at some time, A FEW WORDS ABOUT TONING. NorWITITSTANDrG all that has been written about toning during the last few years, much uncertainty both in theory and practice still prevails; and notwithstanding all the re medies which have been suggested, slaty tones, irregular tones, and the difficulty of getting any tones at all, at times continue to perplex both amateur and professional photo graphers. There can be no doubt that the various remedies proposed, such as the ammonia-nitrate silver bath, the bath of acetate of soda, &c., have proved beneficial in many instances, and have mitigated, if they have not entirely removed the evils they were intended to cure. Still the Object is of so much importance, and beset with so much tncertainty, that every practical suggestion in connection with it is eagerly sought after. We are not now about to enter into any fresh discussion of the theory of alkaline gold toning, but to lay before our readers a few hints which will prove interesting even if they fail to bo in- •tractive. . It may be within the knowledge of some of our readers, that many of the prints of the late Mr. Lacy of Ryde, were distinguished by a rich black tone, and freedom from Tealiness, and that this tone was said to be duo to the use of ie result of his experience in the matter, for .. our readers. His untimely death prevented Bameqssibility of this promise being performed, and at the Beeret re exonerates us from any necessity of preserving the fore 2 which we were the repository. We are now, there- Oor’t 1 berty to state what we know on the subject. As Gened ers will have gleaned, so far as the formula is con- ^Uijv We have no great secret to communicate; but there °e '1st ert he less, a few hints in connection with it, which may ‘Th puctive as well as interesting. ormula was substantially that of Legray, with chlo- 4 toning process the formula of which was a secret. This Was indeed the fact. Mr. Lacy, when in Paris at the begin- 1gof last summer, being greatly struck with the rich tones of the pictures issued by M. Ken, made overtures to him or his printer, for information as to the method of producing them. The tones were said to be due to a secret process, nd a sum of one thousand francs (£40) was demanded for ’“o recipe. Finally Mr. Lacy agreed to give five hundred TAncs (£20) for the information, and received it. A formula or which he paid thus heavily, he very naturally wished to Preserve for his own especial benefit, and he did so. During first few weeks of trying it, he found much difficulty in twining anything like perfect results. Ho persevered, OWever, and finally succeeded to his complete satisfaction. prints of which we have some before us, were certainly IY fine; the tones of a rich deep neutral tint, or warm v3k, altogether free from redness or- inkiness, and there “ for the most part, an entire immunity from mealiness. Kn owing that Mr. Lacy had paid thus highly for the for- 4 A, we did not ask any questions as to its composition. 6o)/8ty superficial examination, however, of a bottle of the ntion placed in our hands, convinced us there was not much pa Sty in the matter, that the solution was, in fact, pre- byby some modification of a well-known formula, which, Eha A singular inadvertence in a highly intelligent photo- atP her and a careful reader of the journals, had escaped his t ntion. Mr. Lacy subsequently detailed the particulars 1og48 with a pr c With th. thebenefitof ride of lime added to chloride of gold. It may be stated simply thus: Chloride of gold 2 grains Chloride of lime, from 2 to 4 „ Water 1 pint The exact proportion of water was not always strictly re garded. The usual method adopted was to dissolve the bottle of gold, containing fifteen grains, in a pint of water, and add twenty grains of chloride of lime. The solution was kept in this state, and subsequently diluted for use by placing in a bottle which was filled up with water: the bottle was stated to hold a gallon, but, from our own obser vation, we should conceive it did not hold more than six pints. This was the toning solution for use. So far the process is nearly identical with that originally proposed by M. Legray, which will be found on p. 213 of our first volume, and repeatedly given with modifications since. The essentially valuable part of the instructions consisted in defining the age at which the solution was to be used. This bath used immediately, or soon after its mixture, gave the worst possible results. The prints were always impoverished; if they remained long in the bath they became slaty and grey, if a short time, they were brown and red, and in each case were mealy and flat. The great secret of success consisted in keeping the solution a proper time, after mixing, before using it for toning purposes. The shortest time in which it acquired the proper qualities was eight days, and it was stated to go on improving for a month longer. It might be used, however, with advantage, at any age, from eight days to five weeks. The prints were excited in a strong silver bath, a little over-printed, washed, but not with any especial care, toned in the solution just given, washed again, and fixed in fresh hypo. The results were generally as we have already stated—fine, black, vigorous prints. A few words may be said regarding the keeping of alka line gold solutions. The result of adding carbonate of soda to a solution of chloride of gold is a double decompo sition, in which a peroxide of gold or auric acid is formed, which, Hardwich states, is capable of uniting with excess of alkali, forming a colourless solution. The same reaction takes place when several other of the soda salts are added. This colourless solution, although it is usually found to be com paratively inert in toning, yet generally gives the best results if the toning action be once set up. A solution of chloride of gold, with carbonate of soda added, will often refuse to tone if it have been mixed a few hours; but if a trace of fresh chloride of gold be added, the toning will go on rapidly and satisfactorily. The solutions of gold with the acetate and phosphate of soda generally work better after having been made a few days, a much greater immunity from the tendency to mealiness being the general result. It is some what singular that, with the addition of chloride of lime, which is more strongly alkaline than either of these, which generally have a feebly alkaline reaction, the toning pro perties of the solution should continue for several weeks un impaired. The change which takes place is difficult to deter mine, but it is probable that the effect of age on toning solutions is a question which would repay further experi ment. Mr. Lacy was satisfied that the improvement in tone, and freedom from mealiness which he obtained, were worth the twenty pounds he had expended ; but it is only fair to state that one or two who have tried the formula have not found any especial advantage in it. Whether the unquestionably