From: Terry Holsinger (trhli@sprynet.com)
Date: 11/04/02-06:54:39 PM Z
And "The Silver Sunbeam," by J. Towler, MD is also online for all to
read at:
http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/sunbeam/toc.html
Terry H.
ARTHURWG@aol.com wrote:
>
> Hi Jeff.
> I'm just starting out in wet-plate but I've recently done a workshop with
> John Coffer and a lot of research, so here goes:
> Probably the best, or at least the best-known of the period wet-plate
> manuals is "The Silver Sunbeam," by J. Towler, MD, first published 1864 but
> available in reprint. I have two, so if you want one, let me know.
> There are also the manuals published by John Coffer (hand written but very
> complete, with Albumen printing included), and by Mark Osterman of Scully &
> Osterman, Rochester. You can also buy the remaining back issues of The
> Collodion Journal (now defunct), also published by S&O.
> As you probably know, virtually any view camera can be converted to
> wet-plate use, but this requires a ground glass adapter that allows the
> screen to swing away, and a wet-plate holder that fits the adapter, etc..
> I've gone the whole 9 yards and had a replica 8x10 wet-plate camera
> built by Ray Morganweck of the Star Camera Co., New Jersey. This comes with a
> set of inserts allowing your choice of size/formats replicating traditional
> tintypes etc.. I'm using an old Petzval portrait lens at the moment.
> Glass plates are easily made from window glass, but traditional tintype
> plates must be "Japanned" with asphaltum, and baked. Thankfully, Tim Merritt
> makes 5x7 plates for sale at $2.50 ea.
> The chemistry is available, but not so y easily as collodion requires
> grain alcohol and either. The preferred fixer (for aesthetic reasons) is
> Potassium Cyanide, can be very dangerous. Hypo can also be used, but the
> images so fixed may not look as good.
> Because the plates must be sensitized and process near the camera, you'll
> probably have to build a portable "dark box" as well. Instructions for this
> are found in Coffer's manual.
> As you can see, the whole thing requires a substantial commitment, but if
> you love the look of Ambrotypes, Tintypes and wet-plate negatives, its worth
> it.
> Hope this helps. Arthur
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