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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. VII. No. 264— September 25, 1863. CONTENTS. PAGE Printing in America, Faming, 457 Assaults in Photographic Studios 458 Mr. Blanchard’s Manipulating Box 458 The Manufacture of Photographic Collodion. By W. L. Noverre 459 Jottings from the Note-Book of a «e Photographer’s Assistant.”— No. II 460 Photo-Block Printing.—No. I. By Joseph Lewis 461 A Photographic Trouble, By C. W. Hull 462 The Economy of Toning. By J. II. Lawyer 462 A Short Lesson in Photography.—No. 15 462 Hints on Success and Failure in Printing 463 PAGE An Artist in Trouble.—Help Wanted.—Pinholes and Varnish... 464 Correspondence—Foreign Science—The Triple v. the Globe Lens, &c.—Formic Acid in theDeveyoper—The Invention of the Triple Lens—Bad Glass Plates—Eden’s Microscopic Camera 465 Photographic Notes and Queries—Image on the Retina of the Dead Eye—Gutta-percha Negative Transfers—Nitrate of Soda in Albumenized Paper 467 Talk in the Studio 468 To Correspondents 468 Photographs Registered during the past Week 468 PRINTING IN AMERICA, FUMING, ETC. The system of treating excited albumenized paper with the fumes of ammonia which has been described in our pages in various extracts from American journals, has not obtained a permanent place in the practice of printing in this country. When it was first announced in our pages as the independent discovery of Mr. Penny, of Cheltenham, a few experimenta lists gave the system a hasty trial, and condemned it. Others did not consider it worth a trial, and virtually the plan has been ignored or abandoned. Nevertheless, we are by no means certain that the fuming system has received justice, or that to disregard it is quite wise. Let it be remembered that it is not a mere suggestion which has been tried on a small scale by a few enthusiastic or crochetty experimentalists. It is the method adopted not only by many of the ablest amateurs in America, but also in many of the largest professional establishments, and answers commercially. We have recently had an opportunity of con versing with a gentleman who was for some years manager of one of the branches of the photographic establishment of Fredericks and Co., one of the best reputed houses in New York. This gentleman, Mr. Cohner, is now principal of a large estab lishment inHavannah. He informed us that for the last three years, long before the reputed secret was published, he had practised the fuming system with all his prints, and was so thoroughly convinced of its advantages that nothing could induce him to give it up. To him it appeared that it was just the one thing required to give perfect excellence to many of the prints he saw in this country and in the cities of Europe he had recently visited. The only mode in which he could explain to himself the apparent indifference on the subject which had been mani fested in this country was by attributing it to some mis apprehension of the real claims of the process which had, ho thought, been a little mis-stated and misunderstood. He put forth but trifling claims for it on the score of superior sensitiveness or greater economy. It was on the higher quality of the result he insisted. The prints were out of all proportion richer, deeper, and more brilliant, and possessed perfect immunity in all cases from mealiness. The shadows of the prints produced upon fumed paper possess, he states, a velvety depth altogether unattainable by any other means. And the extra labour and trouble when once the arrangements were made and the system brought into work ing order was altogether insignificant. Neither were the fumes of ammonia in the printing-room found at all inju rious, although at the outset formidable annoyance had been anticipated. The system of printing adopted was as follows :—The fum ing box consisted of a large deal chest, which had originally been a packing case, of about thirty inches or three feet square. This was papered at all the cracks and joints to make it tolerably air-tight. A saucer containing about an ounce of strong liquid ammonia, covered lightly with cotton wool to diffuse the fumes, was placed at the bottom. A dozen whole sheets of paper were suspended upon wooden rods above the ammonia, and the lid was then closed for about fifteen minutes. The nitrate bath contained sixty grains to the ounce ; half of it was converted into ammonio- nitrate of silver by the ordinary method of precipitating with ammonia and then adding ammonia until the precipi tate was redissolved. This ammonio-nitrate solution was then added to the other half of ordinary nitrate solution. A slight precipitate of oxide of silver was thus caused, which was allowed to subside and remain in the bottle. The paper was excited on this bath for just one minute. When dry, but not until quite dry, it was fumed as we have described. The effect of the fuming is to make the paper rapidly discolour, sometimes reaching a cream tint during the opera tion and a buff colour in an hour or two ; but this discolora tion does not, in the slightest degree, affect the purity of the finished print. The exposure may possibly be a trifle shorter, Mr. Cohner observed, than by the ordinary method, but not sufficiently so to have excited his attention. The appearance of the print is, however, very different. Even with thin, poor- negatives, the shadows rapidly bronze and acquire a depth of reduction without overdoing the lights, which ensures richness and vigour in the finished print. The printing in his establishment is carried tolerably deep, and the prints arc well washed before toning. The toning both is made as follows :— Chloride of gold ... ... ... 1 grain. Chloride of lime ... ... ... 1 „ Water ... ... ... ... 4 ounces. This solution is allowed to stand twenty-four hours, and is then ready for use. The tones are rich and deep, but warm, and, for the majority of subjects, have the most satisfactory effect; but where pure black tones are required, half a grain of nitrate of uranium is added for each grain of chloride of gold. With this addition the most perfect black tones, like those of engraving, are secured, The fixing and washing are conducted in the usual manner. It happened unfortunately that we were not at home when Mr. Cohner first called upon us, introduced by Mr. Anthony, of New York. He then proceeded to visit various cities in continental Europe, and before he returned to Lonon, on his way back to Havannah, he had parted with every specimen of American photography which he had brought over, so that we cannot add to his description of these results the indorsement derived from inspection. But we are familiar with the excellent printing of many American photo graphers ; and we have seen prints from Messrs. Fredericks, where the samesystem ispursued, of unusual excellence. The fact, moreover, that this fuming system is used in large com mercial establishments, amongst a people so pre-eminently practical and labour-saving as the Americans, speaks volumes in its favour. They are especially free from the fetters of custom or habit, nothing is likely to obtain general practice amongst them, unless it be followed by essentially and
