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Re: What is a Van Dyke? Kallitype?

Dear Fellow Altists-

Tony wrote-


> There are three iron/silver based printing processes Van Dyke aka Brown
> print, Kallitype and Argyrotype. They can be differentiated by the choice
> of the iron sensitiser that is used in each particular formula. Van Dyke
> uses ammonium ferric citrate, Kallitype uses ferric oxalate and Argyrotype
> uses ammonium ferric oxalate.

I can speak from first-hand experience...if you make up your argyrotype
sensitizer with Ammonium Ferric Oxalate, you'll be sorely disappointed. 
The formula calls for Ammonium Iron (III) Citrate (the green form).  All
the other Ware formulas call for Ammonium Ferric Oxalate (New Cyanotype,
Ware/Malde POP Pt/Pd, and Chrysotype).  I was so conditioned to using
Ammonium Ferric Oxalate in the Ware formulas that I couldn't figure out
why my argyrotype sensitizer wasn't working properly.  It wasn't until I
re-read the formula that I discovered my mistake.

Best,
Dan Donovan