Re: Going into wet tintype

Hi CJ,

About a week ago I posted a link on both collodion forums regarding
obtaining reprints of Towler's "A Silver Sunbeam" and Ellis' "Ambrotype
and Photographic Instructor". The former book is the bible of wetplate
and several contemporary formulaes are derived from Ellis' manual.
Towler's reprint is about $34 USD IIRC, a wise investment.

I have both Coffer's "A Doer's Guide" and the Osterman's handbook. Both
are good but I also might suggest the Osterman's chapter in Barnier's
"Coming Into Focus" text as you would also get a lot more info regarding
other processes (carbon, gum, cyanotype, kallitype, using step wedges
and digital negatives, etc.) with Barnier's compilation.

By far the Towler book is meatier and I would recommend that text over
all the others. Coffer's would be my second choice since it is an
easier read and a very nuts-and-bolts practical guide that will get you
doing wetplate quickly.

You can also find some good information online at the two collodion
forums and in these online versions of classic collodion texts:

John Towler's 1864 "A Silver Sunbeam":
http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/sunbeam/index.html

Desire van Monckhoven's 1863 "A Popular Treatise on Photography":
http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/monckh/index.html

Matthew Carey Lea's 1868 manual:
http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=AEL5141.0001.001

Hope this helps.

Joe

>>> dbest@hydro.mb.ca 08/03/05 9:05 AM >>>
After an absolutely disastrous experience with Rockland's pseudo tintype
process at the Threasherman's Reunion (my best chance to make some money
in 2005), two bad batches of developer in a row, and NO ability to
produce tintypes for sale, I have decided to move to a wet plate
process.
 
I have sent away for John Coffer's "The Doers Guide" and might spring
for the Osterman's book to. I watch the Alternative Photography forum
(and a few others). Living in Manitoba, there wont be any "workshops"
etc. within my budget range, so I'm going to have to work this out thru
books and online.
 
Question #1 - Any other information sources I should check out?
 
Question #2 - Other than JD PhotoChem, are there any other chemical
suppliers in Canada?
 
Thanks gang.
 
Dianne
(aka Calamity Jane)
Received on Fri Aug 5 12:31:53 2005