A Manual Of Photography

CHAPTER III. ON THE MODES OF MANIPULATION ADOPTED IN THE PREPARATION OF SENSITIVE PAPERS. THE only apparatus required by the photographic artist for the preparation of his papers, are,—some very soft sponge brushes and large camel-hair pencils (no metal should be employed in mounting the brushes, as it decomposes the silver salts), a wide shallow vessel capable of receiving the sheet without folds, and a few smooth planed boards, sufficiently large to stretch the paper upon, and a porcelain or glass slab. He must supply himself with a few sheets of good white blotting paper, and several pieces of soft linen, or cotton cloth; a box of pins; a glass rod or two ; some porcelain capsules ; and some beaker glasses, graduated measures, scales and weights. SECTION I.—Nitrate of Silver. The most simple kind of photographic paper which is pre- pared is that washed with the nitrate of silver only ; and for many purposes it answers remarkably well, particularly for copying lace or feathers ; and it has this advantage over every other kind, that it is perfectly fixed by well soaking in warm water. The best proportions in which this salt can be used are grs. of it dissolved in a fluid ounce of water. Care must be taken to apply it equally, with a quick but steady motion, over every part" of the paper. It will be found the best practice to pin the sheet by its four corners to one of the flat boards above men- tioned, and then, holding it with the left hand a little inclined, to sweep the brush, from the upper outside corner, over the whole of the sheet, removing it as seldom as possible. The lines in fif. 59 will represent the manner in which the brush should be moved over the paper, commencing at a and ending at b. On no account must the lines be brushed across, nor must we