From: Christina Z. Anderson (zphoto@montana.net)
Date: 09/11/02-08:07:49 PM Z
<snippets from Judy>
> In the literature I found, the etch technique is called both Mordancage
> and etch bleach, probably by period... I think it's also called Mariage
> (for M. Mariage, or Marriage), or that's what Pierre Cordier called it.
I've never seen any of the old literature use the term mordancage unless
they are referring to dye mordanting. It is "A." Marriage (2 r's) just for
the record :) and I find his very short description of the process in the
British Journal very enlightening.
> The dye process seems quite different (to me anyway), but I note in
> passing that some of those dye mordanting bleaches were/are excellent for
> regular bleach & redevelop toning, often making distinct color variants.
>
This is good to know--will try.
> > Still, bleach etch does not necessarily result in a negative
gelatin
> > relief. It can run the gamut from a negative to part negative and
positive,
> > because the highlights in a print do not dissolve, and when redeveloped,
> > remain positive.
>
> True, the highlights don't dissolve with the peroxide (only developed--
> metallic -- silver is destroyed). But if you re-expose the print to light
> at this point, which you do in the process I did, the highlights develop
> up black. Or maybe not fully black, since the handling lowers D-max, but
> not really positive any more. Is there some way of keeping them white?
>
This is what I am saying: it is still positive. Yes, they develop back
completely normal, not only "white" but from your lightest highlights to
your darker midtones. The bleach etch only dissolves the blacks. This is
with copper chloride, mind you, not copper sulfate. When I used copper
sulfate it seemed my print had to be printed quite darker in order to
reachieve the right tones in the redevelopment. But this process is mostly
used on previously developed and fixed prints, and the only time you get
black in the place of the highlights is if you do not fix first, do the
mordancage, and then expose the print to light, redevelop and then fix for
the first time.
> > Nate Apkon is currently testing out dye mordanting, and it will be
> > interesting if this process still has visual interest to us today. I
know
> > mordancage does for me.
> > Chris
>
> The dye method, which seems relatively clunky & uncertain, probably filled
> a need/desire for color that's more readily filled by other methods today.
> Or maybe not... Will we get a news flash?
Yes, I do agree that there was a need back then to produce color stuff which
we don't have. But, as Hamish Stewart says, Brihat's prints are gorgeous.
I have only seen them in scans from Nate and Jimmy but the colors he
achieves are remarkable--especially a deep orange. I am feeling there is
still room for dye mordanting to do some fun stuff today. The big problem
is getting the highlights to clear, which Nate is currently addressing.
As you all know about me by now, I never keep stuff a secret, so if
there is some big discovery you'll be the first to know...
Chris
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