FW: Dry plate ferrotypes?

        Christopher wrote: " From your description (and without seeing
the images) what you saw were probably tintypes made with the wet plate
collodion process. "
         
        I am 90% sure that these were dry plate. Whatever method the
photographer used to spread the emulsion left the same kind of patterns
that my brushed-on emulsion does - not filled out right to the edges,
somewhat thicker toward one edge of the plate, somewhat scalloped or
irregular along the edge of the emulsion. There is no hint of any kind
of a wash outside of the coated areas. The time period of 1880s also
fits with the early days of the dry plate process. Maybe I am wrong but
I don't suspect so.
         
         "There are a fair number of collodion photographers who
specialize in making tintypes for the public. "
         
        Yes, I know. I may try that one day.
         
         " Try doing a Google search for "Collodion," or for "Tintype
Photography" and you'll be amazed (some more!). "
         
         
        I have spent days poking thru the online resources and will
undoubtedly spend many more days researching what others have done.
         
        Thanks for the comments Christopher.
         
        Dianne

        At 8:16 AM -0500 6/16/05, Best, Dianne wrote:

                Can anybody tell me where I can find information on the
emulsions that were use in the dry plate, positive image processes of
the 1880s?

                I have been playing with Rockland's "Liquid Light" for
awhile now and thought it was pretty good.

                Yesterday I had the chance to examine a large number of
tintypes that were produced in the 1880s by a couple of different
photographers and they KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF!!! The whites were intense,
the blacks were truly black, and the details were sharp and crisp. They
were obviously homemade (obvious from the crude and irregular cut of the
plates). The metal appears to be hand-painted with black lacquer paint
(thin coat but VERY black). The emulsion layer was quite thin. The
overall contrast and detail was most impressive and I would KILL to
spend a day with those photographers!!!

                It is time for yours truly to get down to some serious
chemistry and figure out how these old-timers got such fantastic
results!

                Dianne

                aka Calamity Jane
Received on Thu Jun 16 10:21:31 2005