The collodion
Collodion
Collodion is a flammable, syrupy solution of pyroxylin (a.k.a. "nitrocellulose", "cellulose nitrate", "flash paper", and "gun cotton") in ether and alcohol. There are two basic types: flexible; non-flexible. The flexible type is often used as a surgical dressing or to hold dressings in place. When painted on the skin, collodion dries to form a flexible nitrocellulose film.
What is the collodion process in photography?
wet-collodion process, also called collodion process, early photographic technique invented by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. The process involved adding a soluble iodide to a solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate) and coating a glass plate with the mixture.
What is the wet collodion process?
Introduced in 1851, by Frederick Scott Archer, the wet collodion process was a fairly simple, if somewhat cumbersome photographic process. A 2% solution of collodion, bearing a very small percentage of potassium iodide, was poured over a plate of glass, leaving a thin, clear film containing the halide.
What happens when a metal plate is coated with collodion?
When a metal plate is coated with collodion, charged with silver nitrate, exposed, and developed, it produces a direct positive image, although 'backwards' on the plate due to refraction from the lens. When coated on glass, the image becomes a negative, and can be reproduced easily on photographic paper.
What is collodion used for?
Collodion is normally used in its wet form, but can also be used in humid ("preserved") or dry form, at the cost of greatly increased exposure time. The latter made the dry form unsuitable for the usual portraiture work of most professional photographers of the 19th century.
What are the 6 steps of the wet collodion process?
Wet-Plate PhotographyStep 1: Coat with Collodion. The first step in making a collodion negative begins with a solution called, not surprisingly, collodion. ... Step 2: Dip in Silver Nitrate. ... Step 3: Plate to Camera. ... Step 4: Expose. ... Step 5: Pour on Developer. ... Step 6: Fix the Plate. ... Step 7: Wash and Varnish. ... Step 8: Make a Print.
How is collodion made?
0:142:41How was it made? Wet Collodion | V&A - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFirst to prepare the negative plate a solution of collodion. And other chemicals is poured overMoreFirst to prepare the negative plate a solution of collodion. And other chemicals is poured over glass collodion is thick and sticky it creates a smooth film over the plate that binds the chemicals.
Why was the collodion process important?
- [voiceover] In 1851 the Englishman Frederick Scott Archer invented the wet collodion process of making negatives. This process allowed photographers to produce finely detailed images on paper and to print an unlimited number of copies.
How many steps are involved in the wet plate photographic process?
The wet plate collodion process went through three stages. These stages are called daguerreotype, ambrotype, and tintype.
What is collodion and where it is used?
noun. a yellowish, viscous, highly flammable solution of pyroxylin in ether and alcohol: used in the manufacture of photographic film, in engraving and lithography, and in medicine chiefly for cementing dressings and sealing wounds.
What does collodion mean?
Definition of collodion : a viscous solution of pyroxylin used especially as a coating for wounds or for photographic films.
Why was it called the collodion wet plate process?
First the collodion had to be spread carefully over the entire plate. The plate then had to be sensitised, exposed and developed whilst the plate was still wet; the sensitivity dropped once the collodion had dried. It is often known as the wet plate collodion process for this reason.
How does wet plate work?
It involves coating a piece of glass or metal with a collodion emulsion, sensitising it in silver nitrate and then making the picture immediately so that it can be developed before the emulsion dries (i.e. whilst it is still wet, hence the name wet plate).
Who invented collodion process?
Frederick Scott ArcherCollodion process / InventorFrederick Scott Archer's discovery revolutionised photography by introducing a process which was far superior to any then in existence, yet he was to die just six years later in poverty.
How do you do wet plate collodion photography?
The wet-plate collodion process involves a huge number of manual steps: cutting the glass or metal plate; wiping egg-white along its edges; coating it evenly with a syrupy substance called collodion; making it light-sensitive by dunking it in silver nitrate for a few minutes; loading the wet plate carefully into a “ ...
What does collodion smell like?
Electrodes must securely be attached to the scalp in order to be effective. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) describes ethyl ether as “a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, sweet ether odor.
How do you make a wet plate picture?
Wet plate photography involves taking a piece of tin, covering it in a light sensitive chemical solution, and placing that tin plate in your camera. Then, you take your photo and develop the image. This all happens within a very short time frame, usually about 15-20 minutes.
When was the collodion process made?
1851Introduced in 1851, by Frederick Scott Archer, the wet collodion process was a fairly simple, if somewhat cumbersome photographic process. A 2% solution of collodion, bearing a very small percentage of potassium iodide, was poured over a plate of glass, leaving a thin, clear film containing the halide.
What is the composition of collodion solution?
Collodion is a 4% solution of nitrocellulose in a mixture of alcohol and ether.
What does collodion smell like?
Electrodes must securely be attached to the scalp in order to be effective. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) describes ethyl ether as “a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, sweet ether odor.
What makes collodion flexible?
Collodion is a solution of pyroxylin in a solution of 75% ether and 25% alcohol. Camphor and castor oil are added to create a flexible noncontracting dressing when applied to the skin.
When was collodion invented?
Introduced in 1851, by Frederick Scott Archer, the wet collodion process was a fairly simple, if somewhat cumbersome photographic process. A 2% solution of collodion, bearing a very small percentage of potassium iodide, was poured over a plate of glass, leaving a thin, clear film containing the halide.
What is the yellow compound in collodion?
When removed from the silver, the collodion film contained a translucent yellow compound of light-sensitive silver iodide.
When did collodion replace daguerreotype?
The collodion process replaced the daguerreotype as the predominant photographic process by the end of the 1850’s. It was eventually replaced in the 1880’s with the introduction of the gelatin silver process.
Who invented wet collodion?
This new technique, invented by the English sculptor Frederick Scott Archer, was 20 times faster than all previous methods and was,…. The introduction in 1851 of a so-called wet-collodion process for photography provided a means for producing a photographic negative as the basic element in the preparation of engravings.
What was the solution used to make the plate in the camera?
The plate, still wet, was exposed in the camera. It was then developed by pouring a solution of pyrogallic acid over it and was fixed with a strong solution of sodium thiosulfate, for which potassium cyanide was later substituted.
Overview
The collodion process is an early photographic process. The collodion process, mostly synonymous with the "collodion wet plate process", requires the photographic material to be coated, sensitized, exposed, and developed within the span of about fifteen minutes, necessitating a portable darkroom for use in the field. Collodion is normally used in its wet form, but it can also be used in d…
History
Gustave Le Gray first theorized about the collodion process, publishing a method in 1850 that was "theoretical at best", but Frederick Scott Archer was credited with the invention of the process, which he created in 1848 and published in 1851. During the subsequent decades, many photographers and experimenters refined or varied the process. By the end of the 1860s, it had almost entirely re…
21st century
The wet plate collodion process has undergone a revival as a historical technique in the twenty-first century. There are several practicing ambrotypes and tintypes who regularly set up and make images, for example at Civil War re-enactments and arts festivals. Fine art photographers use the process and its handcrafted individuality for gallery showings and personal work. There are several makers of reproduction equipment, and many artists work with collodion around the glo…
Advantages
The collodion process produced a negative image on a transparent support (glass). This was an improvement over the calotype process, discovered by Henry Fox Talbot, which relied on paper negatives, and the daguerreotype, which produced a one-of-a-kind positive image and could not be replicated. The collodion process, thus combined desirable qualities of the calotype process (e…
Disadvantages
The wet collodion process had a major disadvantage. The entire process, from coating to developing, had to be done before the plate dried. This gave the photographer no more than about 10-15 minutes to complete everything. This made it inconvenient for field use, as it required a portable darkroom. The plate dripped silver nitrate solution, causing stains and potentially explosive build-up of nitrate residue in the camera and plate holders.
Use
Despite its disadvantages, wet plate collodion became enormously popular. It was used for portraiture, landscape work, architectural photography, and art photography. The largest collodion glass plate negatives produced in the nineteenth century were made in Sydney, Australia, in 1875. They were made by the professional photographer Charles Bayliss with the help of a wealthy amat…
Search for a dry collodion process
The extreme inconvenience of exposing wet collodion in the field led to many attempts to develop a dry collodion process, which could be exposed and developed sometime after coating. A large number of methods were tried, though none were ever found to be truly practical and consistent in operation. Well-known scientists such as Joseph Sidebotham, Richard Kennett, Major Russell, and Frederick Charles Luther Wratten attempted but never met with good results.
Collodion emulsion
In 1864 W. B. Bolton and B. J. Sayce published an idea for a process that would revolutionize photography. They suggested that sensitive silver salts be formed in a liquid collodion, rather than being precipitated, in-situ, on the surface of a plate. A light-sensitive plate could then be prepared by simply flowing this emulsion across the surface of a glass plate; no silver nitrate bath was required.