Chapter VII Helio ProcessF
An Entire Process for Producing Collodion Positives and Negatives with one Bath, and in much less time than by any other known Process.—By Helio.—Photographic Patents.
Boston, Oct., 1856.
S. D. Humphrey.
Sir,—As Humphrey’s Journal is the only truly progressive and independent Photographic publication in America, I feel it the duty of every one to aid its Editor in furthering the interest of the amateur and practitioner of the art; and, suiting the action to the word, I present the following Process as being worthy of confidence, and having, in my hands, proved eminently satisfactory. I am surprised to see that Operators and men respectably connected with the practice of the Art should so far fall beneath the station of true artists as to advertise to catch each other, or the verdant ones, by offering this or that little improvement all “printed complete for five dollars.” As an amateur, and having the good of the science I love at heart, I now contribute my mite for the benefit of all interested; and, following the glorious example of G. B. C. (who I hope we shall soon hear from again,) in your last, I say—God speed!
I shall endeavor to be as minute and concise as possible, so as to enable any one to adopt and successfully use my processes.
Preparation of Soluble Cotton.—I put into a Wedgewood mortar, twelve ounces, by weight, of dry and finely pulverized nitrate of potash (I use Dupont’s refined), and add to it twelve ounces, by measure, of good commercial sulphuric acid; I mix these well together by the use of a glass rod and pestle, so that it forms a paste; I then add, in small quantities at a time, about 325 grains of good coarse cotton (this is according to your process), and knead the mass well for from three to five minutes; and then cover the mortar with a piece of glass, and let it stand for twenty or thirty minutes, by which time it will have been sufficiently acted upon. Then the cotton is to be plunged into a quantity of clean water and thoroughly washed in a number of changes of water, so that when it is squeezed between the folds of blue litmus-paper it will not redden it; this indicates that the acid has been washed out; I then place the cotton in a clean strong towel and wring out all the water I can, then put it into alcohol, then wring it again, and adopt your plan of not letting it become thoroughly dry.
The cotton being now ready for use, I dissolve it in the following mixture, in a bottle of proper size:—
| Sulphuric ether | 10 | ounces. |
| Alcohol, 95 per cent. | 5 | ounces. |
| Soluble cotton, enough to make it about as thick as cream. | ||
The above should be well shaken, and then allowed to stand for one or two days to settle. This constitutes my Plain Collodion, and should be poured off into another bottle, leaving the sediment behind.
Iodizing.—For this purpose I employ the following preparation:—
A.—Iodide of Silver.—Dissolve fifty grains of nitrate of silver, crystals, in two ounces of pure water, and forty grains of iodide of ammonium in two ounces of pure water; then pour the two together, shaking the mixture well; let it settle, which it will do in a few minutes; then pour off the water carefully, leaving behind all the yellow iodide of silver; pour again a fresh quantity of water over the precipitate, and continue this washing for at least six changes of water; then drain off the water as close as possible and pour on two ounces of alcohol, which, when drained off, will leave the powder sufficiently clean for the purpose.
B.—I now dissolve forty grains of bromide of ammonium and one hundred grains of iodide of ammonium in two ounces of 95 per cent, alcohol, and then add the iodide of silver (preparation A), and shake the whole well together, giving a saturated solution. This is to be filtered through cotton or paper, when it will be ready for use.
C.—To sixteen ounces of Plain Collodion add from eight to twelve drops of tincture of iodine (50 grains of dry iodine dissolved in half an oz. of alcohol) and 14 grains or drops of fluoride of ammonium; shake the mixture well; then add all of the solution B; shake it again and thoroughly; after this has stood for twenty-four hours it can be used, but will be found better after it has been prepared one week.
Nitrate of Silver Solution.
| Pure rain or distilled water | 64 | ounces. |
| Nitrate of silver (in crystals) | 4¼ | ounces. |
| Clean pure white sugar | 75 | grains. |
| Six grains of iodide of ammonium dissolved in half a drachm of alcohol. | ||
The above, thoroughly mixed and allowed to stand for a few hours, should be filtered through a new clean sponge, asbestos, or Swedish filtering paper, and then a few drops of nitric acid, chemically pure, should be added, just enough to redden blue litmus-paper; then it is ready for use, and will improve by age.
Developing Solution.—This formula has proved very satisfactory in my hands, and I hope will be equally so with all who give it a trial:—
| Water | 1 | pint. |
| Boracic acid | ¾ | ounce. |
| Protosulphate of iron | ¾ | ounce. |
| Pulverized nitre | ½ | ounce |
| Three drops of oil of cinnamon dissolved in two ounces of alcohol. | ||
Dissolve and filter, and it is ready for use. It is better to make this developer fresh every other day.
Dissolving off the Iodide of Silver.—Water, about half a pint; cyanide of potassium, enough to clear the impression in about thirty seconds—say a quarter of an ounce.
Fixing the Impression.—I use the article well known to every good photographer as Humphrey’s Collodion Gilding, and it serves the purpose better than anything that I I know of.
Black Varnish.—I generally purchase this from the dealer; but I have made an article which answered the purpose well, by dissolving pulverized asphaltum in spirits of turpentine. Any of the black varnishes can be improved by the addition of a little bees’-wax to it. It is less liable to crack and gives an improved gloss.
Negative and Printing Processes.—Being myself an amateur, and desiring to study economy and convenience, my attention has been given to the test of numerous plans for avoiding the necessity of two baths and silvering solutions and I feel confident that the amateur will find the following, in connection with the foregoing Positive Process, the best adapted to his wants.
The same bath and solution is used for the negative as for the positive process; and the time of exposure in the camera should be prolonged a few seconds. I have produced beautiful negatives, in-doors, in four seconds, and, out-doors, instantaneously. The manipulation, bath, and developing solution are precisely the same as those used in the positive process.
Fixing the Negative.—Place the following mixture in a well-stoppered bottle:
| Pure Water | 6 | ounces. |
| Aqua-ammonia, concentrated | 1 | ounce. |
This solution should be poured on the negative and allowed to remain for about twenty seconds. It should be borne in mind, that the developing solution (same as for positives) should be well washed off the glass before the fixing solution is poured over; after it has remained on the glass for the time given (20 seconds), the negative can be washed with clean water and dried; it is then ready for printing. The iodide of silver is not, as in other processes, dissolved off, but remains on the glass.
It sometimes happens that the negative is not sufficiently intense; this result can be obtained by pouring over the plate the following solution, which should remain for about three-fourths of a minute:
| Water | 8 | ounces. |
| Nitrate of silver | 28 | grains. |
| Alcohol | 1 | ounce. |
| Loaf sugar | 1/3 | ounce |
After this solution is used, I pour over the impression the developing solution, and then wash well with water. This re-developing may be repeated two or three times, and almost any desired intensity obtained.
Printing Process—Salting the Paper.—Boil the following mixture in an earthen vessel until it becomes transparent:—
| Distilled water | 12 | ounces |
| Muriate of ammonia | 240 | grains. |
| Arrowroot | 112 | grains. |
After this has been sufficiently boiled, it should be strained through clean linen or cotton cloth (free from soap or other substances), and, when cool, it is ready for coating the paper, which is done by dipping a new clean sponge into it and rubbing it over one side of the paper, giving it a uniform coating; but as it is not desirable to have too much on the paper, it should be rubbed with a clean sponge until nearly dry; it can then be hung up by the corner until thoroughly dry, when it can be put into a portfolio and kept for exciting for use.
Silvering Solution.—This solution may be prepared in the light, but must be used in a dark room:—
| Distilled water | 1 | pint. |
| Nitrate of silver | 3¾ | ounces. |
Dissolve and pour into an earthen or gutta-percha dish. Take the paper (cut to the proper size) and float it on this solution for about three minutes; care must be observed that there are no air-bubbles between the solution and the paper, for this would cause spots. It now can be hung up to dry, and as soon as dry it may be used. Let me here repeat, that this operation must be conducted in a dark room.
Fixing and Toning Bath.—I find that a better effect is produced if the positive be a little over-printed before being acted upon by the following mixture:—
| Distilled water | 8 | ounces. |
| Chloride of sodium | 240 | grains. |
This solution should be put into a flat dish and the print placed on it, face down, for from one and a-half to three minutes, when it should be taken off and put into the following solution, and allowed to remain there from three quarters of an hour to two hours:—
| Distilled water | 18 | ounces. |
| Hyposulphite of soda | 3 | ounces. |
| Nitrate of silver | 60 | grains. |
The following method should be observed in preparing this last mixture, viz.:—dissolve the three ounces of hyposulphite of soda in sixteen ounces of the water and the sixty grains of nitrate of silver in the remaining two ounces; then pour the nitrate of silver solution into that containing the hyposulphite of soda, stirring the mixture continually until all is well mixed.
After the print has remained in the toning solution for the specified time, it should be taken out and well washed in several changes of clean water, and dried and mounted in any of the usual ways.
With a few general remarks I will close this, perhaps, too long communication. It should be a point in the practice of every one who desires success in any process, to maintain a strict observance to cleanliness; this is one point in which most persons fail, and it cannot be too strongly impressed upon the minds of manipulators. It should be understood that the foregoing process is complete in itself, and is not to be confounded with any other method. The collodion is adapted for the nitrate of silver bath, and the bath for the collodion; and no one should use other preparations of collodion and silvering solution, except they do so with the full expectation that it will be at the loss of either or both of the preparations employed.
Allow me, through the columns of your invaluable Journal, to say to those who may read the foregoing process, that if they find (as I have) my process to prove profitable to them, I shall consider myself amply repaid if they will, through the same medium, contribute to our stock of information by giving an account of their experiments. I feel quite confident that some of the amateurs, with whose reputation I am already acquainted, and of whose private works in photography America has cause to feel proud,—could furnish interesting, useful and valuable information upon this subject. Such men, for instance, as G. B. C, of Md. (who has already made a good beginning), G. W. D., of the same place, and Mr. G. G., of Pa. Friends and co-laborers, shall we hear from you? I pause for a reply!
I look with interest upon every stroke of the pen from your able correspondent G. M., of Washington, whose specimens of photographic engraving you recently had the kindness to show me. I assure you, it did not a little astonish me to witness the surprising truthfulness with which the details were presented.
Helio.
Notes
F It has been thought advisable to publish in this work the Helio Process, and I do so just as it appeared in Humphrey’s Journal.—S. D. H.