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Appendix IV - Historical instructions
1. Chevalier, Charles. Nouvelles instructions sur l’usage du daguerreotype. 1841: 60-66. ...2
2. Chevalier, Charles. Nouvelles instructions sur l’usage du daguerreotype. 1841: 60-66 (English translation by Martin Jürgens, 2016) ...10
3. Lerebours, Noël. Traité de photographie. 1843 (June): 125-131 (French original). ...14
4. Lerebours, Noël. A treatise on photography. 1843 (September): 117-124 (English translation) ...22
5. Von Pauly, Theodor. Gegenwärtiger Standpunkt der Daguerreotypie in Frankreich. 1843: 81-84...31
6. Draper, John. “Note on the Tithonotype”. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science 23 (September 1843): 175-176...36
7. Shaw, George. A Manual of Electro-Metallurgy. 1844: 174-176...39
9. Humphrey, Davy. American Hand Book of the Daguerreotype. 1858: 167-170...46
10. Smee, Alfred. Elements of Electro-Metallurgy. 1841:134 ...50
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2. Chevalier, Charles. Nouvelles instructions sur l’usage du daguerreotype. 1841: 60-66 (English translation by Martin Jürgens, 2016)
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Reproduction of photographic plates by electroplating
The discovery made by Mr Jacobi can naturally take its place side by side with that of Mr Niepce and Mr Daguerre. New applications are found for it every day, and the last word on this subject is far from having been spoken. In spite of the very high quality of the plates made during the early days after the discovery, at that time it would doubtless have been very hard to believe in the possibility of reproducing a photographic plate. However, nothing could be easier, as I became convinced by an experiment which I carried out together with Mr Richoux and Mr de Kramer, in January of this year, reported in the journal l’Artiste of 7 February 1841, page 94.
The fidelity of this reproduction is such that at first sight you would believe that you were being shown the photographic proof obtained on a copper plate; the effect is perhaps even more harmonious, and what is more, the image is the right way around. If the operation is carried out carefully, the original plate will not be spoiled in any way and can be used for a second experiment. It is impossible to efface the counter-proof without wearing down the copper; in a word it is the non plus ultra of moulding.
I thought that amateurs would enjoy reading the description of the very simple procedure by which electrotype proofs can be made, the more so because the papers presented to academies and reported in scientific journals often leave something to be desired with regard to details. The apparatus which we use was constructed
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by Mr Tito Puliti of Florence, a very skilful experimenter, on the basis of the rather unclear notes presented by Mr Jacobi to the learned societies. On his way to/through Milan, Mr Puliti was kind enough to demonstrate his method in the presence of Mr de Kramer, and to pass on to him his personal observations, as well as several practical tips which contribute in large measure to the perfection of the products. In England and in France, the medals produced using the apparatus of Mr Puliti generally aroused the admiration of connoisseurs. I am obliged to Mr de Kramer for giving me the opportunity to introduce to the public this apparatus, as simple as it is remarkable in its results, which amateurs can construct
themselves, without recourse to craftsmen; it can be used for reproducing both photographic plates and medals.
This apparatus consists of:
1. a glass cylinder [“manchon en verre” transl.: such as a gas mantle], closed off at one end by a sheet of parchment or a piece of bladder attached by a piece of string wound round it several times. If one of the ends of the cylinder should have a rim, this should be used to advantage to hold the cover more firmly in place. The parchment must be well stretched and there must not be the slightest opening anywhere. The dimensions of the glass cylinder will be in relation to the size of the plate which is to be copied.
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2. a glass or earthenware vase wide enough to allow a certain space between it and the glass cylinder, when the latter is placed inside it; the height of the vase should be about half that of the cylinder.
3. a small capsule [dish] containing a certain quantity of mercury. 4. a few tubes or strips of glass.
5. a zinc plate of the same size as the plate.
When the apparatus is to be set up, the zinc plate, which has been amalgamated very exactly, and in such a way that it is made shiny
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and to which a red copper conductor [wire] has been soldered, is then placed flat on the glass strips which have been spread over the bottom of the earthenware vase for this purpose; the vase being three quarters full of water, acidulated with a few drops of sulphuric acid. This liquid must have a very slightly acid taste; it is important above all that it should not be too strong, for it is essential that it attacks the zinc very slowly. On the zinc are placed more strips of glass, which are to support the glass cylinder and prevent contact between the parchment and the metal.
The solution of copper sulphate, prepared hot in order for it to be well saturated, is then poured into the glass cylinder.
It is important that the solution should always remain saturated, and that there should not be a larger quantity of salt at the bottom of the liquid than in the upper part; to maintain the
balance, a wooden collar [/hoop/ring] is placed inside the cylinder, a little above the surface of the liquid, and on this some crystals are spread; some little sachets filled with sulphate may also be fixed at the same point; whatever method is adopted for placing the crystals,
fragments of the salt must also be continuously kept scattered over the parchment base. When the conductor soldered to the zinc plate is bent back and ready to be immersed into the mercury capsule, the apparatus is ready to function; but the photographic plate still has to be prepared. With the fusible metal [solder?], a conductor [wire?] made of red copper must be bent into position onto the back of the plate, in such a way that the two ends of the copper wire are fixed at the mid-points of the two short sides; then another metal wire is soldered at the centre of the arc and is bent into position so that it can be immersed in the mercury capsule. This conductor should be formed in such a way that the end of it reaches the
mercury, while the plate is positioned in the central part of the liquid. The plate is held in this position by means of a glass tube which passes
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under the arch soldered onto the plate, with its ends resting on the edges of the cylinder. Before immersing the two conductors in the mercury, it is important to clean the ends of them well with hydrochloric acid diluted in water.
The end of the conductor should be plunged into the capsule before the plate is immersed in the copper sulphate; otherwise the plate would adhere to the copper which gets deposited there in some places and it would become very difficult to detach the counter-plate.
Naturally, no foreign matter may be left on the photographic plate, and touching the surface with the fingers must be avoided at all costs, for the reproduction is so perfect that the
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smallest specks of dust, or a slight mark left the by the finger tips would inevitably be found on the copy. The whole of the back of the plate, and the parts of the conductor which are immersed in the liquid, are to be covered in advance with a layer of wax or thick varnish; without this, the copper would be deposited on these different points.
When the plate is immersed into the liquid, with the silver side downwards, the copper in the solution at once begins to be deposited there and to cover the whole surface of it. But the process cannot be left to carry on alone; we must remove the plate from time to time to examine it, and if the copper is not being deposited evenly, we can rub/brush it lightly with a soft shaving brush, then place it back into the solution.
If the process advances too quickly, it should be slowed down by the addition of a little water in the outer vase, to weaken the current; in general, the slower the action, the finer the copy-plate; however, it would not be wise to exaggerate this principle.
Above all, the following precepts are worth observing:
1. the quantity of copper sulphate solution should be quite considerable; the copy-plates will be all the finer for that.
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2. each time a new copy-plate is made, a third of the sulphate must be removed and replaced by an equal quantity of fresh solution. If this precaution is not taken, the resulting copy-plates will be more and more fragile, and will lose their metallic sheen.
3. there must be no contact between the copper sulphate and the acidulated water of the outer vase.
4. this water must be sufficient to fill the vase containing it almost completely. It also needs to be removed in portions after each operation.
5. the zinc plate must be kept completely clean and the shine must be restored for each new operation.
6. for an excellent copy-plate, one will never take a solution which has not yet been used; it is necessary, in a manner of speaking, to purify the sulphate with a trial plate.
As soon as the surface of the plate is covered with copper, there are no longer so many precautions to be taken; the rest of the operation has as its object only to strengthen the sheet of copper. It would be a mistake to judge the strength of this by examining it at the edges, because the metal settles in that area more thickly than in the centre; but experience will soon provide clear guidance on this subject.
Let us suppose that the process is complete; now the two plates must be separated, and this is not always the easiest part of the operation. After the copper which has accumulated as a rim around the edges has been filed off, a knife blade is carefully inserted between the two
metallic plates and towards the corners, gently raising and lowering it to push the plates apart. If the operation has been successful and the copper is thick enough, the metals come apart easily, but sometimes they are stuck together at certain points, or else the copper is too thin and soon begins to tear. In such a case, not only is the operation a failure,
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I advise my readers above all to keep the saline solution very clean and to renew it in part for each new attempt. In winter, the galvanic action can be activated by placing the device on a slightly warmed hot-plate or on a foot-warmer.
I will now add a few pieces of advice as to the precautions it is necessary to take when reproducing medals.
The original piece can be cleaned perfectly by first rubbing it with the smooth side of a kid-skin, then adding a little olive oil, wiping it off with the same skin; finally, after the medal has been washed in alcohol, a few drops of that liquid are poured over it and it is left to dry. From that moment on, the cleaned surface must not be touched, for the slightest mark would be reproduced on the counter-proof and would spoil the beauty of the reproduction.
Perfect cleaning is of the utmost importance; the presence of a small quantity of oxide or any foreign matter would inevitably prevent the copper from being deposited on the stained patches and the copy would show a gap at that point.
When the medal is completely clean, it is placed in a circle or lathe-turned ring of red copper, which is provided with a conductor of the same metal, and into which the piece to be
reproduced should fit closely. After all the parts which are to be withheld from galvanic action have been coated with a layer of wax or varnish, the same procedure is followed as for the photographic plates.
For the lathe-turned ring, a metal plate of the size of the medal may be substituted, fixed around the edges with wax; but in this case the second side of the medal and of the plate have to be perfectly
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clean, so that the current will not be interrupted. This procedure is simpler, but less sure of success than the preceding one.
In most cases, the original piece is in relief; so it is necessary first to make a counter-proof in intaglio and carry out the same operations on it, to produce a proof in relief. Once the intaglio version has been obtained, an infinite number of reproductions can be taken off it, so long as it is not damaged while being detached.
Although the impression may be perfect as soon as the original is completely covered with copper, the operation must be prolonged until the metal layer is thick enough. It would be impossible to define strictly the length of time necessary to produce a complete proof,
because the diameter of the pieces to be copied varies considerably; but as the operation takes place in full view, it is easy to ascertain the thickness of the copper, which will always be considered in proportion to the surface of the original.
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5. Von Pauly, Theodor. Gegenwärtiger Standpunkt der Daguerreotypie in Frankreich. 1843: 81-84.
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6. Draper, John. “Note on the Tithonotype”. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science 23 (September 1843): 175-176.
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11. Napier, James. Manual of Electro-Metallurgy. 1860: 66-67.
