From: David Foy (dfoy@marketactics.com)
Date: 09/23/03-07:44:53 AM Z
My understanding is there is one layer, in which starch grains dyed the
three colors are randomly mixed. The Lumieres apparently used red, green,
and purple, and color choice is undoubtedly a fruitful area for
experimentation.
The tedium and high cost of the manufacturing process was largely in having
to sift the dyed grains by size and put that one layer down in several
steps, biggest grains first, next-biggest next, etc., to achieve one layer
with all the interstices filled. I believe a final layer of carbon black
filled the last holes, but I'm not sure about that. This single layer was
then mechanically pressed to make the starch grains less spherical and more
lenticular.
This information comes largely from patent literature and to a small extent
from our wonderful modern Internet. I have no personal experience with the
process other than envy.
David Foy
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Bailey [mailto:jon@jonathan-bailey.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 5:59 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
Subject: RE: Autochromes
Steve,
> so does anyone have any info on how possible this process is
> today? anyone out
> there making Autochromes? anything at all would be helpful.
The process is particularly difficult - arguably more problematic than even
daguerreotypes. Autochromes use three layers of potato starch emulsion
pressed onto the glass plate. It is a "direct positive" process. These
images mainly date from a ten year period around 1910-1920. Both Steichen
and Stieglitz made beautiful autochrome images.
Jean-Paul Gandolfo in Paris has been working for some time on replicating
Lumiere's process. He teaches, appropriately enough, at Ecole Lumiere. The
last time I was in Paris I purchased a group of stereoview autochromes -
pretty unusual....
I have also seen reproductions (Pinhole Journal) of pinhole autochromes made
by a person in Mexico City. This person used rice starch rather than
potato.
Good luck Steve!
Jon
www.jonathan-bailey.com
Tenants Harbor, Maine
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