[jdanforth]

It’s not so much about speed, phuphuphnik, as it is about making an even Iodine coating. Especially when I work with 8×10 plates it is really tricky to get a nice, even Iodine coating in my makeshift shack of a Daguerreotype studio!

[jdanforth]

I’ve read somewhere that some Daguerreian rooms featured blue-glass skylights.

I read a great book about early Hollywood portrait photography and they showed some of the lighting setups. Often they would use the giant spotlights made by the Klieg company. The effect on the subjects was so pronounced and detrimental that the term “Klieg Eye” evolved to describe “conjunctivitis, edema of the eyelids, lacrimation, and photophobia due to exposure to intense lights”!

[jdanforth]

John, the mat for the first piece was treated to the sulfur-bath for aging. It’s not very obvious in the scan. Good idea with the sulfur on the transparency! I hadn’t thought to try it that way!

All of these treatments are disclosed (with apologies to preservationists of the future) at the time of sale. I consider the acts that Alan describes as absolutely despicable!

For many, “old” equals “aged”. You’re completely correct about the misconception. I had the opportunity yesterday to list some ambrotypes and tintypes on eBay. Knowing that the images were far more stable than daguerreotypes I decided to remove the cover glasses for scanning. All went well and they’re safely back behind their glass. The point is that the images looked AMAZING when removed from their crappy glass tombs! I cleaned up the glass and will send them off happily and confidently.

[jdanforth]

Yes, I put the positive directly on the iodized plate. It’s fragile, sure, but it’s fine if you’re careful.

[jdanforth]

Here’s another contact print of the singer Morrissey for his 50th birthday.

The mat, preserver, and thermoplastic case are all 19th century. The velvet is embossed with a custom-made stamp.

Here’s the same image prior to casing:

[jdanforth]

I have been doing a lot of contact-printing lately because, frankly, it pays well. It feels a bit like I’m cheating but it’s fun and challenging nonetheless.

This image was made by a friend in London of the band Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis. My friend added all of the staining and spots digitally. It has that certain look that he’s after (I used to sprinkle pulverized sulfur directly on the ungilded plated to achieve this!). I made the daguerreotype and cased ‘er up nice n’ pretty.

At least I’m getting practice making plates even if I haven’t dusted off the actual camera in a while!

[jdanforth]

Jason, there’s a place in Portland called TechShop that will almost certainly have a plate guillotine. I am a member of the club here in Durham, NC and they have all kinds of awesome tools for working metal (and wood, etc.). edit: http://www.portlandtechshop.com/

[jdanforth]

I just thought that I’d chime in with my two cents. I sensitize Becquerel plates under red safelight. I check the color periodically using a 25w tungsten bulb and reflecting the plate into a white sheet of paper. I also use Robinson’s Quickstuff in my Iodine for an even coating. I bought it from Talas.

Can’t wait to see some photos from you, Andy!

[jdanforth]

If available light won’t cut it, I resort to those big halogen lights that you can buy at the big-box hardware stores here. I also have a big studio floodlight that I use sparingly. The lamps are $40!!

[jdanforth]

Hey these are great! I wish I had known about you 6 weeks ago! You would have saved me $500! I had to case two 1/4 plates in contemporary thermoplastic cases for a client that didn’t want leather.

Well done!

[jdanforth]

Dave that shouldn’t be necessary. Silver can be plated directly onto copper without any problem whatsoever.

[jdanforth]

That’s really special, Jon. Do you gild using the hot-plate and frying pan method or blow torch?

 

edit: I have had the EXACT same trouble with paper towels. Get some buffered silver storage paper like Silver Shield. Plate boxes are really nice too. Maybe I’ll make some for the members here… I could use a new woodworking project. I just got a laser engraving/cutting machine which I can use to put Daguerre’s visage on the front! Just like the Daguerreoshirt!

 

I got the laser (in case you were wondering) in part to etch brass mats for daguerreotypes. 🙂 I love combining the old with the new!

 

[jdanforth]

My unused plates are stored in a big stack from largest to smallest. Each is wrapped in Silver Shield. The neglected stack mocks me when I walk into the workshop.

[jdanforth]

That’s freakin’ cool, Rob. Thanks for posting that information!

[jdanforth]

Forgot to ask. John: are you just moving the gilded dags to an H2O bath then to an isopropyl bath prior to drying? Seems like a good idea.

My genius idea of dropping some Photo Flo into the bath didn’t work very well. Don’t bother with that one, chaps.

[jdanforth]

I’m with you, AgNO3. When the coppers come ’round to ask about the distillation equipment you just start talking to them about 19th century photography, invite them in for a demonstration, confuse the bejeezus out of ’em and you’re golden.

Pro Tip: Don’t boast about how you’re a Sudafed away from making crystal meth in your studio what with all the Iodine and other crap you’ve got laying around. Tee hee hee.

[jdanforth]

I’m grinning right now because your statement, Andy, is so very true. Mike at Surtronics has told me stories about people calling him and requesting him to “just do what you do for Jonathan Danforth” on their plates. That terrifies me, honestly. I don’t know if what I’m having done is RIGHT but I do know that it WORKS.

[jdanforth]

Yowza, that’s some pretty kit! If only I had the money…

[jdanforth]

I have been working with

Surtronics, Inc

Raleigh, NC

http://www.surtronics.com

Mike Breslin, Customer Service Manager

mbreslin@surtronics.com

(919) 834-8027 Ext:227

Very friendly and they’ve been really patient with me over the years.

[jdanforth]

Having made a run of about 1 dozen 8×10 dags for a London artist I feel qualified to say that large daguerreotypes are a colossal pain in the ass to make. Alan, I’m sure, would also agree that the cases for such a daguerreotype are preposterous.

Because I’ve tried it I really have to admire the gumption of Mr. Fuss and our 19th century brethren!

Humbug… I’m switching to freakin’ sixteenth plates. Do they make a 1/32nd plate? Grumble grumble mumble hurumph.

[jdanforth]

Great to see new people here. I have no idea who you are and that really pleases me!

 

I gotta say that these two pics you’ve put up here look great. You really seem to have figured out your polishing, man. You’re more or less right regarding your assessment of the images but I wouldn’t throw ’em out necessarily. Blue in Becquerel dev usually means that the plate was overexposed and underdeveloped (nice trick to add to the arsenal if you ask me). The ice cream parlor was overexposed but not by too much. I wouldn’t throw it out. 🙂

 

Don’t sprinkle pepper all over your plates before you seal ’em.  😉 Just kidding… mix new hypo every day and make sure to use distilled water. I’ve only ever gotten the pepper grain when I’ve been lazy and not made fresh hypo.

 

[jdanforth]

I have made heaps of dags from digital originals. I have even made (are you ready for this one?) a daguerreotype with the following history:

Tintype (1860s)

tintype repro of tintype (1860s)

scan of repro (~2005)

PRINT of scan of repro of tintype (~2008)

SCAN of PRINT of scan of repro of tintype (~2008)

Transparency print on Pictorico OHP film of scan of print of scan of repro of tintype

Contact print daguerreotype of transparency print of scan of print of scan of repro of tintype.

I told the client in so many words: “This is going to look like dog shit.” Client was happy regardless.

Contact printed dags don’t feel quite right. The in-camera pieces are transcendental while there is an amazing amount lost in the process of contact printing.

Nevertheless I would never be able to sell people a daguerreotype of their wedding day otherwise. Ya know?

A handful of the contact-printed dags I’ve done can be see on my other site, http://www.jonathandanforth.com in the “Couture” gallery. Some of the look like dog shit because the client requested they be “aged.” This was done by sprinkling (brace yourself) powdered sulfur all over the naked ungilded plate.

edit: Here’s my essay about contact printing a daguerreotype: http://www.shinyphotos.com/2008/01/28/contact-printing-a-daguerreotype/

[jdanforth]

I found some to buy. Thanks for the attention.

J

[jdanforth]

I apologize for not being more informative. I want to buy these cases.

I’d love it if they have the same pattern but beggars can’t be choosers, can they?

[jdanforth]

I like the part where she’s naked.

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