Frags ?
As Luis has pointed out the original patent for the 'kallitype' dates from 1889.
But, as Peter Marshall says the idea stems from Herschel's work on the iron
processes in 1842.
Nicol's ideas were as different from the current ferric oxalate based process as
they were from the Van Dyke or brown print. It is ,therefore, reasonable to use
the word kallitype to describe any iron silver process as a kallitype with VDB
and the ferric oxalate processes as sub species. Perhaps if we were to use the
term 'oxotype' to describe the ferric oxalate version we might resolve the
problem of names for the sub species.
My own experience is that the ferric ammonium citrate version, brown or VDB,
produces prints that do not fade with the rich brown of a salt print with
similar fine gradation and long contrast range. It has the advantage over the
salt print that only one coat is needed and it prints out wysiwygly unlike the
salt print with its need to juggle with the gradations on the step wedge,(
thanks again to Judy and Stouffer). One needs to wash and fix properly ( 2 %
hypo ). Admittedly my oldest VDB is only about fifteen years old but it looks as
good as new.
My initial reaction to the 'oxotype' and made according to the recipes in
Keepers of Light was ' why bother '.
I know Mike Ware is concerned with the inherent instability of ferric oxalate,
and that, if I understood his patient explanation correctly, his efforts in
relation to his versions of some of our basic processes, are, to some extent,
intended to avoid that instabiity.
But given that many have been producing prints using the recipes in KoL and Dick
Stevens' book to their satisfaction, I thought that I might see what happened if
I tried a few variations myself. I started by using the classic pt/pd formula
and sustituting silver for the platinum. I found it very difficult to tell the
difference from a pt/pd print. This was 'Kingy Thingy 3' in my alternative
variations but when Joyce Peck was organising the Melbourne exhibition she made
me think up new names and I arrived at 'Agferox' for this variation.
But getting back to the question that started this thread, there is nothing much
better than kallitype, brown version, to whet your teeth on if you are starting
in alternative processes. But remember the hypo should only be 2 % and watch the
high light detail like a hawk when the print is in the fixer. Find the first
perceptible highlight detail or tone and whip the print out of the fixer as soon
as you see the least sign of bleaching even if it is only after a couple of
minutes. Then wash thouroughly.
Terry King