Keith Schreiber (stillpoint@worldnet.att.net)
Fri, 12 Feb 1999 19:26:00 -0700
I've had some good laughs from the responses to Sandy's post. But there is
some historical relevance.
Some of you may have heard of Hercules Florence, a French-born artist who
went to interior Brazil with a Russian expedition in the late 1820s.
According to my lecture notes from a History of Photography class of more
than a few years ago, he made direct positive prints on paper using gold
chloride "fixed" in urine. (Fixed is in quotes because it was not very
effective.) Rosenblum says he was working with silver salts in the early
1830s but gives no further details. The bibliographic reference is to:
Weston J. Naef, "Hercules Florence, 'Inventor du Photographia,'" Artforum,
February 1976, p.58. I'll check it out next time I get to the library.
Florence is also credited with coining the word "photography" in 1832.
And Jewelia - welcome to this crazy family.
Cheers,
Keith
-----Original Message-----
From: Sandy King <sanking@hubcap.clemson.edu>
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Date: Friday, February 12, 1999 11:40 AM
Subject: Real Alternative Developing Agents
>In reading the section on film developing agents in Anchell and Troop's new
>book I came across the following paragraph in the author's discussion of
>the film developing agent Pyrocatechin (Catechol).
>
>One interesting attribute of pyrocatechin is that this toxic benzene
>chemical is a constituent of human urine. How or why the human body
>manufactures pyrocatechin is something we will leave to future generations
>of scientists-or theologians. Perhaps the Creator foresaw a time when
>developing agents would be in short supply but film would be plentiful?
>
>Any good film developing formulas out there based on human urine?
>
>Sandy King
>
>
>
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