The Collodion - Photographic Processes Series - Chapter 5 of 12

Summary

This script explores the evolution of photography, emphasizing its early focus on portraiture to capture loved ones' likenesses. It details the daguerreotype's commercial success and the calotype's reproducibility, leading to Frederick Scott Archer's 1851 invention of the wet collodion process. This process allowed for both negatives for paper prints and direct positive plates like ambrotypes and tintypes. It discusses the wet plate's challenges, like the need for a portable darkroom and the physicality of the process, and how it eventually replaced the daguerreotype. The script also touches on photography's cultural impact, transforming memory preservation from stories to visual likenesses.

Takeaways

• 🖼️ Photography initially served as a means for the wealthy to have portraits made, capturing the likeness of ancestors.
• 📸 The primary use of early photography was for portraits, reflecting human interest in documenting the features of loved ones.
• 🔎 Frederick Scott Archer invented the wet collodion process in 1851, which allowed for the creation of glass negatives and various positive prints.
• 📈 The daguerreotype was a commercial success in the 1850s, providing a direct positive image on a metal plate without a negative.
• 📄 The calotype process produced a paper negative that could be easily reproduced, but it resulted in softer, less detailed images compared to the daguerreotype.
• 🎚️ The wet collodion process combined the reproducibility of the positive/negative process with the precision and detail of the daguerreotype.
• 🔑 The wet plate process could produce both negatives for paper prints and direct positive plates like ambrotypes and tintypes.
• 🚛 The process required a portable darkroom for on-site development, presenting a logistical challenge for photographers, especially those capturing landscapes.
• 🏺 Ambrotypes, a type of positive image made with the collodion process, were cased and presented similarly to daguerreotypes.
• 🛡️ Tintypes, another direct positive plate, became popular during the American Civil War as soldiers sent images home, democratizing photography.
• 🌐 Photography has significantly influenced cultural memory, shifting from oral traditions to visual records as the primary means of remembering people and events.

Q & A

What was the primary use of photography before the advent of the wet collodion process?

Before the wet collodion process, photography was primarily used for portraits, as it was the only way for people to have a record of their features and likeness.

Who invented the wet collodion process and in what year?

The wet collodion process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851.

What were the two main types of photography in the 1850s before the wet collodion process?

In the 1850s, the two main types of photography were the daguerreotype and the calotype paper negative.

What was the main advantage of the daguerreotype over the calotype?

The daguerreotype was more sensitive and produced a sharper image, making it easier to do portraits, but it did not have a negative for reproduction.

How did the wet collodion process address the limitations of the daguerreotype and calotype?

The wet collodion process provided the reproducibility of the positive/negative process with the precision and detail of the daguerreotype, allowing for the production of multiple prints from a single negative.

What are the two types of direct positive plates that the wet collodion process could produce?

The wet collodion process could produce two types of direct positive plates: the ambrotype and the tintype.

Why did the positive/negative process eventually replace the daguerreotype?

The positive/negative process replaced the daguerreotype because it was more economically viable and allowed for the mass production of prints.

What challenges did photographers face when using the wet collodion process for outdoor photography?

Photographers using the wet collodion process for outdoor photography had to carry a portable darkroom and all necessary chemicals, and they had to take the picture and develop it while the plate was still wet, which was a logistical challenge.

What is a characteristic feature of the wet collodion process visible on the glass negatives?

A characteristic feature of the wet collodion process visible on the glass negatives is the pour marks, which are visible as waves on the negative.

How did the wet collodion process influence the democratization of photography?

The wet collodion process, particularly through tintypes, made photography more accessible to the masses, as evidenced by the widespread use of tintypes by soldiers during the American Civil War to send images home.

How did photography change the way people remember and record history according to the script?

Photography changed the way people remember and record history by shifting the focus from remembering through stories and poems to remembering through visual likenesses captured in photographs.

Outlines

00:00

📸 The Evolution of Portrait Photography

This paragraph delves into the historical significance of photography, particularly its impact on how people captured and remembered the likenesses of their ancestors. Initially, only the wealthy could afford painted portraits. Photography, introduced as a means to document loved ones, primarily focused on portraits. The paragraph discusses various early photographic processes including the daguerreotype, calotype, and the wet collodion process invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. The wet collodion process was revolutionary as it allowed for both direct positive plates like ambrotypes and tintypes, and the creation of negatives for paper prints, thus combining the reproducibility of the positive/negative process with the detail of the daguerreotype. The wet plate process eventually replaced the daguerreotype due to its economic viability, despite the logistical challenges it posed, such as the need for a portable darkroom. The paragraph concludes by highlighting how photography has democratized portraiture and shaped cultural memory, moving away from oral traditions to visual records.

05:00

🌐 The Cultural Impact of Photography

This paragraph, although brief, emphasizes the profound cultural shift that photography has brought about. It suggests that the way we remember events and people has been transformed by the advent of photography. The paragraph implies that photography has become a primary means through which we document and recall history, moving beyond traditional narrative forms like ballads, poems, and stories to the more immediate and tangible medium of visual imagery.

Keywords

💡Photography

Photography is the art, science, and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. In the context of the video, photography is highlighted as a transformative technology that allowed people to capture and preserve likenesses of their loved ones, which was previously only accessible to the wealthy through portrait paintings. The video discusses the evolution of photography, emphasizing its cultural impact and the various processes that were developed to improve its accessibility and quality.

💡Collodion Negative

A collodion negative refers to a photographic negative made on a glass plate coated with a solution of collodion, a flammable solution of cellulose nitrate in alcohol and ether. The process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. The video script mentions that this process was used to create a glass negative that could be contact printed onto various printing processes to make thousands of prints. This was a significant advancement in photography as it combined the detail of the daguerreotype with the reproducibility of the calotype.

💡Daguerreotype

The daguerreotype is an early photographic process that was introduced in 1839 and became the first publicly available photographic process. It involved capturing an image on a silver-plated copper sheet treated with iodine vapor, resulting in a unique, one-of-a-kind image that could not be reproduced. The video script notes that the daguerreotype was a commercial success due to its precision and detail, but it lacked the reproducibility of a negative process.

💡Calotype

The calotype, also known as the talbotype, is an early photographic process that uses paper sensitized with silver iodide. It was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1840s. Unlike the daguerreotype, the calotype produced a paper negative that could be used to make multiple positive prints. The video script points out that while the calotype allowed for easy reproduction, it produced softer images and was less sensitive, making it less suitable for portraiture.

💡Wet Collodion Process

The wet collodion process, invented by Frederick Scott Archer, was a photographic process that involved coating a glass plate with a solution of collodion and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate before exposure. The video script explains that this process was able to produce both negatives for paper prints and direct positive plates known as ambrotypes. It was a significant improvement over previous methods, offering both the detail of the daguerreotype and the reproducibility of the calotype.

💡Ambrotype

An ambrotype is a positive photograph made on glass using the wet collodion process. It was created by backing the glass negative with black paper or cloth, resulting in a positive image. The video script mentions that ambrotypes were cased and presented similarly to daguerreotypes, indicating their popularity and the cultural significance of having a likeness of oneself or loved ones.

💡Tintype

A tintype, also known as a melainotype, is a direct positive photograph made by creating an image on a blackened metal plate. Despite the name, tintypes were not made on tin but rather on iron plates coated with a dark lacquer or enamel. The video script notes that tintypes were one of the earliest forms of democratic photography, as they were affordable and widely used, especially during the American Civil War, when soldiers would have their portraits taken to send back home.

💡Portable Darkroom

A portable darkroom is a mobile setup that contains all the necessary equipment and materials for developing photographic images. The video script describes how photographers using the wet collodion process had to carry a portable darkroom with them, as the process required immediate development after the plate was exposed while it was still wet. This was a logistical challenge, especially for landscape photographers who had to transport all their chemicals and equipment.

💡Pour Marks

Pour marks are characteristic features of the wet collodion process, visible on the glass negatives as a result of the collodion being poured onto the plate. The video script mentions pour marks as a distinctive aspect of the collodion negative, which can be seen as a 'wave' on the negative, indicating the technique used to create the image.

💡H.B. Lewis Wet Plate Camera

The H.B. Lewis wet plate camera was a typical camera used during the American Civil War for taking tintype portraits. The video script identifies this camera as the one used to create the tintypes of soldiers, highlighting its role in capturing and preserving the likenesses of individuals during a significant historical period.

💡Cultural Change

Cultural change refers to the shifts in societal norms, values, and practices over time. The video script discusses how photography has been a catalyst for cultural change by altering the way people remember and commemorate events and individuals. Instead of relying solely on ballads, poems, and stories, photography provided a visual record that has become an integral part of how we remember history and the people who shaped it.

Highlights

Photography initially served as a tool for the wealthy to capture their likenesses through portraits.

The daguerreotype was a popular and commercially successful early form of photography.

The calotype process introduced the concept of a negative that could be used to produce multiple prints.

The desire for a photographic process that combined the reproducibility of the calotype with the detail of the daguerreotype led to the invention of the wet collodion process.

Frederick Scott Archer's wet collodion process was a significant advancement, allowing for both negatives and direct positive plates.

The wet plate process enabled the creation of glass negatives, which could be used to produce thousands of prints.

The wet collodion process eventually replaced the daguerreotype due to its economic viability.

Photographers using the wet plate process had to carry a portable darkroom and work quickly before the plate dried.

Landscape photographers faced the challenge of carrying a wagon with all necessary chemicals for the wet plate process.

The wet collodion process left characteristic pour marks on the glass negatives, visible as wave-like patterns.

The camera used for wet collodion photography had to be large to accommodate the size of the glass negatives.

Collodion negatives could be backed with black paper or cloth to produce ambrotypes, a positive image.

Tintypes, a direct positive image on a metal plate, were one of the earliest forms of democratic photography.

During the American Civil War, tintypes became popular as soldiers had their portraits taken to send home.

The H.B. Lewis wet plate camera was typical for Civil War portrait photography, used for creating tintypes.

Photography has significantly shaped cultural memory, shifting from oral traditions to visual records.

Transcripts

Up until photography only the very wealthy

who could afford to have portraits painted

had any notion of what their ancestors looked like.

Photography was used primarily for portraits

because people is what we are primarily interested in.

We see it as a very popular way to do what we’ve always wanted to do

which is to record the features of people we love.

I’m going to show you a collodion negative on glass

very carefully.

This process was invented in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer.

In the 1850’s you have the daguerreotype,

you had the calotype paper negative.

The daguerreotype was a commercial success.

The plate that they hand the customer is the same

plate that was in the camera.

There’s no negative.

What you got with the calotype was a negative

and it was a negative that could be reproduced very easily.

You could print dozens even hundreds

of positive prints from that negative.

But it made a very soft photograph.

It was much less sensitive than the daguerreotype.

You couldn’t do portraits easily with that process.

The desire was to have the reproducibility of a positive / negative process

with the precision and detail of the daguerreotype.

In 1851 Frederick Scott Archer invented

the process called the wet collodion process.

The wet plate process can give you a negative

to make paper prints.

It can give you a direct positive plate called an ambrotype

and another direct positive plate called a tintype.

When you do the wet plate process

you make a glass negative

and that glass negative can then be contact printed

onto various printing processes and make 1000’s and 1000’s of prints.

By the time you get to the late 1850’s it really replaces the daguerreotype.

The positive / negative process won out

in part because it was more economically viable.

It does require some advance planning when you’re taking it on the road.

You have to have a portable darkroom.

You pour the collodion on the plate, you dip it in the silver bath

and while it’s dripping wet with silver nitrate

you take the picture

you come back and develop it and

you have to do all of that before the plate dries.

And so the people who made landscape images

they had to carry a wagon with all their chemicals.

It was a challenge.

So you can see on this negative the pour marks

which are characteristic of the wet collodion process.

See this kind of wave up here that’s a pour mark

from when the photographer poured the developer onto the glass.

The camera that took this photograph would have

had to have been quite large to accommodate a negative of this size.

You could do a lot of things with collodion besides make a negative

You could back it with black paper, or black cloth

and you ended up with a positive.

These kinds of photographs, they were called ambrotypes

were generally cased and presented in the same way that daguerreotypes were.

You could expose a positive onto a metal plate

and for funny reasons these were called tintypes

even though they weren’t made on tin.

Tintypes were one of the earliest truly democratic kinds of photography.

During the American Civil War we see hundreds, thousands

of tintype images made by soldiers to send a picture home.

This is a H.B. Lewis wet plate camera

your typical civil war portrait camera.

It’s the camera that the tintypes of the soldiers would have been made from.

Photography shaped the way we remember things.

It’s a really important cultural change.

No longer through ballads and poems and stories

but through looking at a likeness is the way we remember

what happened and who was.