Chapter 2 - 1

Chapter 2

Negative Fact Questions

01 photography

Early Photographic Processes

Two processes invented during the ludustrial Revolution advanced the field of photography.

These new processes made images available to the general public.

Before these processes were invented, the first permanent photographic images took eight hours to expose and develop.

This made the development of photographs a long and tedious process.

This all change in 1839 when the daguerreotype was produced in France and the calotype was invented across the channel in England.

Though both methods came out the same year and broadened the scope of photography, they produced very different results: The daguerreotype, invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, was the first to gain popularity.

Creating a daguerreotype involved producing images on copper plates coated in a silver-and-chalk solution.

One great disadvantage of daguerreotypes was the mercury used in the process.

After the photo was taken, it was placed in mercury fumes to from a laten image.

The vapors were hazardous to the photographer and could result in mercury poisoning.

There is speculation that Daguerre himself may have suffered from mercury poisoning in his later years.

Unlike daguerreotypes, calotypes were images developed on paper.

Invented by William Fox Talbot, the paper was coated with alternating layers of silver nitrate and salt.

This made silver chloride.

When exposed to light, the silver chloride decomposed, evaporating the chloride.

At the same time, the silver oxidized when placed in contact with gallic acid.

Photographs using this method could be exposed in as quickly as thirty seconds on a bright day.

Calotypes produced negative images with light areas appearing dark and dark areas appearing light, Talbot discovered that by placing a second sheet of photographic paper underneath the negatives, he could make multiple numbers of images.

Daguerreotypes produced clear images with fine detail.

At first, they were more popular than calotypes because the texture of the paper fibers used in calotypes made the images slightly blurry.

On the other hand, the polished surface of daguerreotypes could result in a reflection that made viewing difficult.

Calotypes were easier to examine and less fragile, making them popular with travelers.

Since calotypes were printed on paper and not on metal plates, they did not require the glass coverings and cases like daguerreotypes did.

However, the most significant contrast between the two was the calotype’s use of negatives.

It was possible to make multiple copies of a calotype.

A daguerreotype was a one-of-a-kind image that could not be reproduced.

The invention of daguerreotypes and calotypes helped pave the way for modern photography.

Calotypes have had a more lasting impact, since photographs are still printed on paper and negatives are used to reproduce many images.

However, the glossy clarity of the daguerreotype is also still desirable today.

Later photographers would improve on the development process of these two techniques.

Yet, the original results of Daguerre and Talbot’s ingenuity is still seen over a century later in today’s photographs.