RE: Argentum sulfericum

-----Original Message-----
From: "Breukel, C. (HKG)" <C.Breukel@lumc.nl>
Sent: Feb 18, 2004 2:44 AM
To: "'alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca'" <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Subject: RE: Argentum sulfericum

Hi Bob (sorry for the first incomplete post)

> I'm just curious. When silver/gel prints are not completely
> washed the
> residual hypo combines with the silver to make silver sulfide
> (I'm told) so
> that you get a yellow print. My question is, "What color is
> the silver
> sulfide in your bottle? Is it yellow?" I ask because I have
> never seen
> silver sulfide.

..it's in a light brown glaas bottle, it looks as fine white powder, I do
not want to remove the cork and wax seal right now..

>
> I assume that since the label was in Latin, the bottle must
> have belonged to
> an alchemist.

..it's I guess at leat 50 years old, made by Merck, Darmstadt.. also labeled
silbersulfat, sulfato do plata, sulfate d'argent, sulfato di Argento,
Sulfato de Prata..

> Therefore, it may have magical properties. ;-) You could keep
> it around as a
> conversation piece.
> Leave it on your coffee table. When a guest asks what it is
> say, "Oh that. I
> must have forgotten to put it away the last time I was
> turning some base
> metal into gold."
>
>

...:-)..

Cor

   The color of the image depends mostly on the state of division of the material making it up. Silver sulfide can look brown as in a sepia toned print but can also shift toward blue as it does when a polysulfide toner is used on microfilm. Metallic silver in a very fine state of division looks yellow. For instance, the yellow filter layer in Kodachrome is made of colloidal silver. I think the color of the Halo Chrome prints is probably due to the silver being in state of very fine division.

Richard Knoppow
dickburk@ix.netcom.com
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Received on Wed Feb 18 08:10:30 2004