RE: Heliochrome (?)

Jack Fulton (jfulton@itsa.ucsf.EDU)
Sun, 1 Sep 1996 08:06:34 -0700 (PDT)

Yes, "Helcochrome", from the Greek, Helios = sun and Chroma = color. In
fact, as many of you may know already, Photo-graphy was originally called
Heliography or, sun writing.
If you have the opportunity to read or obtain a copy of "The Silver
Sunbeam", a history of photography written in the 1860's, there is a
lovely description of heliochromy and the desire for obtaining colo(u)r in
photography with the aid of the omniscience of god or something along that
line.
Since I am rambling here, i've always thought that photography sort of
developed from origins of medicine and alchemy. Lightning was known to
strike oak trees in forests more than other trees such as beech, and oak
also had mistletoe which was important in European myth (Balder et al) and
oak galls and pyrogallic acid ultimatley became tanning developers. When
color was first attempted I believe they were interested in potash due it
being the primary element in leaves which 'turned' from green to rust or
yellow. Flowers were squeezed of their essential juices to see if they
contained 'elements' of color to be used in developing to obtain color.
Best
Jack Fulton

***The eye is the Pencil of Nurture***