Re: Mandel's Positive Process - early istants on paper

Flesch Ba'lint (100263.262@CompuServe.COM)
08 Dec 96 19:41:43 EST

The 1./ has a black layer behind the emulsion and a light-gray density
which was treated usually with mercury (-chloride, -bromide, etc.). It is
a simple adaptation of tintype because the later period the tintype
materials was produced with a silver-gelatine emulsion (from 1890-s ?)
instead of collodion.

The 2./ is mostly without any silver mirroring, fading, etc because the
process don't use any fixing chemicals, so (the remainder of) it cannot to
cause a silver degradation, and the picture material is often silver-sulfide
(also as a result of the process).

The 3./ usually has strong sharpness problems around the edges or
on the whole picture. Often there is a black "frame" around the picture.
Because the negative is existing more than one copies are possible.
As I know this process is in the practice recently also, in some poor
(exotical) countries. I have dates and photographs from these photographers
from the last years (I mean pictures where the master and the camera are
visible).

- Balint Flesch - Archaist/conservation photographer. - Budapest/Hungary. -