Class Notes:
ALBUMEN PROCESS
The albumen process was created by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard and was published in January 1847. It uses the albumen in egg whites to bind chemicals to the paper. This process was the first profitable method of creating a photographic print from a negative image, and became the dominant form of creating positive photographic prints from the 18th to 20th century.
Process:
Interesting Facts:
Process:
- A piece of 100% cotton paper is coated with a mixture of egg white and salt, then dry. The albumen seals the paper and creates a surface for the sensitizer to rest on.
- Then dip the paper in a solution of silver nitrate and water which creates the surface sensitive to UV light.
- The paper is then dried in the absence of UV light.
- The dried and prepared paper is placed in a frame in direct contact under a negative photo.
- The paper with negative is then exposed to light until the image achieves the desired level of darkness.
- Then a bath of sodium thiosulfate fixes the print’s exposure, preventing further darkening.
- Optional gold or selenium toning improves the photograph’s tone and stabilizes against fading.
Interesting Facts:
- The albumen process uses albumen found in egg whites.
- The center of worldwide albumen paper production was in Dresden, Germany.
- Very few albumen prints survive in original condition.
Works Cited:
"Albumen Print - Wikipedia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albumen_print. Accessed 13 Jan. 2017.
"The History, Technique and Structure of Albumen Prints." Albumen Photographs: History, Science, and Preservation, albumen.conservation-us.org/library/c20/reilly1980.html. Accessed 13 Jan. 2017.
"Albumen Print - Wikipedia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albumen_print. Accessed 13 Jan. 2017.
"The History, Technique and Structure of Albumen Prints." Albumen Photographs: History, Science, and Preservation, albumen.conservation-us.org/library/c20/reilly1980.html. Accessed 13 Jan. 2017.