make new ones of my own, as well as many staunch and valuable friends,
both among what I may term laymen and brother Masons, while I resided in
Glasgow. Most of my sitters were of the professional classes, and the
_elite_ of the city, among whom were Sir Archibald Alison, the
historian, Col. (now General) Sir Archibald Alison, Dr. Arnott,
Professor Ramsey, and many of the princely merchants and manufacturers.
Some of my other patrons--for I did all kinds of photographic work--were
the late Norman Macbeth, Daniel McNee (afterwards Sir Daniel), and
President of the Scottish Academy of Art, and also Her Majesty the
Queen, for she bought two of my photographs of Glasgow Cathedral, and a
copy of my illustration of Hood's "Song of the Shirt," copies of which I
possess now, and doubtless so does Her Majesty. One of the most
interesting portraits I remember taking while I was in Glasgow was that
of John Robertson, who constructed the first marine steam engine. He was
associated with Henry Bell, and fitted the "Comet" with her engine. Mr.
Napier senr., the celebrated engineer on the Clyde, brought Robertson to
sit to me, and ordered a great many copies. I also took a portrait of
Harry Clasper, of rowing and boat-building notoriety, which was engraved
and published in the _Illustrated London News_. Several of my portraits
were engraved both on wood and steel, and published. At the photographic
exhibition in connection with the meeting of the British Association
held in Glasgow, in 1855, I saw the largest collodion positive on glass
that ever was made to my knowledge. The picture was thirty-six inches
long, a view of Gourock, or some such place down the Clyde, taken by Mr.
Kibble. The glass was British plate, and cost about L1. I thought it a
great evidence of British pluck to attempt such a size. When I saw Mr.
Kibble I told him so, and expressed an opinion that I thought it a waste
of time, labour, and money not to have made a negative when he was at
such work. He took the hint, and at the next photographic exhibition he
showed a silver print the same size. Mr. Kibble was an undoubted
enthusiast, and kept a donkey to drag his huge camera from place to
place. My pictures frequently appeared at the Glasgow exhibition, but at
one, which was burnt down, I lost all my Daguerreotype views of Niagara
Falls, Whipple's views of the moon, and many other valuable pictures,
portraits, and views, which could never be replaced.
[Illustration: THIRD PERIOD.
COLLODION.
FREDERICK SCOTT ARCHER.
_From Glass Positive by R. Cade, Ipswich. 1855._
HEVER CASTLE, KENT.
_Copy of Glass Positive taken by F. Scott Archer in 1849._]
THIRD PERIOD.
COLLODION TRIUMPHANT.
In 1857 I abandoned the Daguerreotype process entirely, and took to
collodion solely; and, strangely enough, that was the year that
Frederick Scott Archer, the inventor, died. Like Daguerre, he did not
long survive the publication and popularity of his invention, nor did he
live long enough to see his process superseded by another. In years,
honours, and emoluments, he fell far short of Daguerre, but his process
had a much longer existence, was of far more commercial value,
benefitting private individuals and public bodies, and creating an
industry that expanded rapidly, and gave employment to thousands all
over the world; yet he profited little by his invention, and when he
died, a widow and three children were left destitute. Fortunately a few
influential friends bestirred themselves in their interest, and when the
appeal was made to photographers and the public to the Archer
Testimonial, the following is what appeared in the pages of _Punch_,
June 13th, 1857:--
"To the Sons of the Sun.
"The inventor of collodion has died, leaving his invention unpatented,
to enrich thousands, and his family unportioned to the battle of life.
Now, one expects a photographer to be almost as sensitive as the
collodion to which Mr. Scott Archer helped him. A deposit of silver is
wanted (gold will do), and certain faces, now in the dark chamber, will
light up wonderfully, with an effect never before equalled by
photography. A respectable ancient writes that the statue of Fortitude
was the only one admitted to the Temple of the Sun. Instead whereof, do
you, photographers, set up Gratitude in your little glass temples of the
sun, and sacrifice, according to your means, in memory of the benefactor
who gave you the deity for a household god. Now, answers must not be
negatives."
The result of that appeal, and the labours of the gentlemen who so
generously interested themselves on behalf of the widow and orphans, was
highly creditable to photographers, the Photographic Society, Her
Majesty's Ministers, and Her Majesty the Queen. What those labours were,
few now can have any conception; but I think the very best way to convey
an idea of those labours and their successful results will be to reprint
a copy of the final report of the committee.
The Report of the Committee of the Archer Testimonial.
"The Committee of the Archer Testimonial, considering it necessary to
furnish a statement of the course pursued towards the attainment of
their object, desire to lay before the subscribers and the public
generally a full report of their proceedings.
"Shortly after the death of Mr. F. Scott Archer, a preliminary meeting
of a few friends was held, and it was determined that a printed address
should be issued to the photographic world.
"Sir William Newton, cordially co-operating in the movement, at once
made application to Her Most Gracious Majesty. The Queen, with her usual
promptitude and kindness of heart, forwarded a donation of L20 towards
the Testimonial. The Photographic Society of London, at the same time,
proposed a grant of L50, and this liberality on the part of the Society
was followed by an announcement of a list of donations from individual
members, which induced your Committee to believe that if an appeal were
made to the public, and those practising the photographic art, a sum
might be raised sufficiently large, not only to relieve the immediate
wants of the widow and children, but to purchase a small annuity, and
thus in a slight degree compensate for the heavy loss they had sustained
by the premature death of one to whom the photographic art had already
become deeply indebted.
"To aid in the accomplishment of this design, Mr. Mayall placed the use
of his rooms at the service of a committee then about to be formed. Sir
William Newton and Mr. Roger Fenton consented to act as treasurers to
the fund, and the Union, and London and Westminster Banks kindly
undertook to receive subscriptions.
"Your Committee first met on the 8th day of June, 1857, Mr. Digby Wyatt
being called to the chair, when it was resolved to ask the consent of
Professors Delamotte and Goodeve to become joint secretaries. These
duties were willingly accepted, and subscription lists opened in various
localities in furtherance of the Testimonial.
"Your Committee met on the 8th day of July, and again on the 4th day of
September, when, on each occasion, receipts were announced and paid into
the bankers.
"The Society of Arts having kindly offered, through their Secretary, the
use of apartments in the house of the Society for any further meetings,
your Committee deemed it expedient to accept the same, and passed a vote
of thanks to Mr. Mayall for the accommodation previously afforded by
that gentleman.
"Your Committee, believing that the interests of the fund would be
better served by a short delay in their proceedings, resolved on
deferring their next meeting until the month of November, or until the
Photographic Society should resume its meetings, when a full attendance
of members might be anticipated; it being apparent that individually and
collectively persons in the provinces had withheld their subscriptions
until the grant of the Photographic Society of London had been formally
sanctioned at a special meeting convened for the purpose, and that their
object--the purchase of an annuity for Mrs. Archer and her
children--could only be effected by the most active co-operation among
all classes.
"Your Committee again met on the 26th of November, when it was resolved
to report progress to the general body of subscribers, and that a public
meeting be called for the purpose, at which the Lord Chief Baron Pollock
should be requested to preside. To this request the Lord Chief Baron
most kindly and promptly acceded; and your Committee determined to seek
the co-operation of their photographic friends and the public to enable
them to carry out in its fullest integrity the immediate object of
securing some small acknowledgment for the eminent services rendered to
photography by the late Mr. Archer.
"At this meeting it was stated that an impression existed, which to some
extent still exists, that Mr. Archer was not the originator of the
Collodion Process; your Committee, therefore, think it their duty to
state emphatically that they are fully satisfied of the great importance
of the services rendered by him, as an original inventor, to the art of
photography.
"Professor Hunt, having studied during twenty years the beautiful art of
photography in all its details, submitted to the Committee the following
explanation of Mr. Archer's just right:--
"'As there appears to be some misconception of the real claim of Mr.
Archer to be considered as a _discoverer_, it is thought desirable to
state briefly and distinctly what we owe to him. There can be no doubt
that much of the uncertainty which has been thought by some persons to
surround the introduction of collodion, has arisen from the unobtrusive
character of Mr. Archer himself, who deferred for a considerable period
_the publication of the process of which he was the discoverer_.
"'When Professor Schoenbein, of Basle, introduced gun-cotton at the
meeting of the British Association at Southampton in 1846, the
solubility of this curious substance in ether was alluded to. Within a
short time collodion was employed in our hospitals for the purposes of
covering with a film impervious to air abraded surfaces on the body; its
peculiar electrical condition was also known and exhibited by Mr. Hall,
of Dartford, and others.
"'The beautiful character of the collodion film speedily led to the idea
of using it as a medium for receiving photographic agents, and
experiments were made by spreading the collodion on paper and on glass,
to form with it sensitive tablets. These experiments were all failures,
owing to the circumstance that the collodion was regarded merely as a
sheet upon which the photographic materials were to be spread; the dry
collodion film being in all cases employed.
"'To Mr. Archer, who spent freely both time and money in experimental
research, it first occurred to dissolve in the collodion itself the
iodide of potassium. By this means he removed every difficulty, and
became the inventor of the collodion process. The pictures thus obtained
were exhibited, and some of the details of the process communicated by
Mr. Scott Archer in confidence to friends before he published his
process. This led, very unfortunately, to experiments by others in the
same direction, and hence there have arisen claims in opposition to
those of this lamented photographer. Everyone, however, acquainted with
the early history of the collodion process freely admits that Mr. Archer
was the _sole inventor of iodized collodion_, and of those manipulatory
details which still, with very slight modifications, constitute the
collodion process, and he was the first person who published any account
of the application of this remarkable accelerating agent, by which the
most important movement has been given to the art of photography.'
"Your committee, in May last, heard with deep regret of the sudden death
of the widow, Mrs. Archer, which melancholy event caused a postponement
of the general meeting resolved upon in November last. Sir Wm. Newton
thereupon resolved to make another effort to obtain a pension for the
three orphan children, now more destitute than ever, and so earnestly
did he urge their claim upon the Minister, Lord Derby, that a reply came
the same day from his lordship's private secretary, saying, 'The Queen
has been pleased to approve of a pension of fifty pounds per annum being
paid from the Civil List to the children of the late Mr. Frederick Scott
Archer, in consideration of the scientific discoveries of their father,'
his lordship adding his regrets 'that the means at his disposal have not
enabled him to do more in this case.' Your committee, to mark their
sense of the value of the services rendered to the cause by Sir William
Newton, thereupon passed a vote of thanks to him. In conclusion, your
committee have to state that a trust deed has been prepared, free of
charge, by Henry White, Esq., of 7, Southampton Street, which conveys
the fund collected to trustees, to be by them invested in the public
securities for the sole benefit of the orphan children. The sum in the
Union Bank now amounts to L549 11s. 4d., exclusive of interest, and the
various sums--in all about L68--paid over to Mrs. Archer last year. Thus
far, the result is a subject for congratulation to the subscribers and
your committee, whose labours have hitherto not been in vain. Your
committee are, nevertheless, of opinion that an appeal to Parliament
might be productive of a larger recognition of the claim of these orphan
children--a claim not undeserving the recognition of the Legislature,
when the inestimable boon bestowed upon the country is duly considered.
Since March 1851, when Mr. Archer described his process in the pages of
the _Chemist_, how many thousands must in some way or other have been
made acquainted with the immense advantages it offers over all other
processes in the arts, and how many instances could be adduced in
testimony of its usefulness? For instance, its value to the Government
during the last war, in the engineering department, the construction of
field works, and in recording observations of historical and scientific
interest. Your committee noticed that an attractive feature of the
Photographic Society's last exhibition was a series of drawings and
plans, executed by the Royal Engineers, in reduction of various ordnance
maps, at a saving estimated at L30,000 to the country. The
non-commissioned officers of this corps are now trained in this art, and
sent to different foreign stations, so that in a few years there will be
a network of photographic stations spread over the world, and having
their results recorded in the War Department, and, in a short time, all
the world will be brought under the subjugation of art.
"Mr. Warren De la Rue exhibited to the Astronomical Society, November,
1857, photographs of the moon and Jupiter, taken by the collodion
process in five seconds, of which the Astronomer-Royal said, 'that a
step of very great importance had been made, and that, either as regards
the self-delineation of clusters of stars, nebulae, and planets, or the
self-registration of observations, it is impossible at present to
estimate the value.' When admiring the magnificent photographic prints
which are now to be seen in almost every part of the civilized world, an
involuntary sense of gratitude towards the discoverer of the collodion
process must be experienced, and it cannot but be felt how much the
world is indebted to Mr. Archer for having placed at its command the
means by which such beautiful objects are presented. How many thousands
amongst those who owe their means of subsistence to this process must
have experienced such a feeling of gratitude? It is upon such
considerations that the public have been, and still are, invited to
assist in securing for the orphan children of the late Mr. Archer some
fitting appreciation of the service which he rendered to science, art,
his country--nay, to the whole world.
"M. Digby Wyatt, _Chairman_,
"Jabez Hogg, _Secretary to Committee_.
"_Society of Arts, July, 1858._"
After reading that report, and especially Mr. Hunt's remarks, it will
appear evident to all that even that act of charity, gratitude, and
justice could not be carried through without someone raising objections
and questioning the claims of Frederick Scott Archer as the original
inventor of the Collodion process. Nearly all the biographers and
historians of photography have coupled other names with Archer's, either
as assistants or co-inventors, but I have evidence in my possession that
will prove that neither Fry nor Diamond afforded Archer any assistance
whatever, and that Archer preceded all the other claimants in his
application of collodion. In support of the first part of this
statement, I shall give extracts from Mrs. Archer's letter, now in my
possession, which, I think, will set that matter at rest for ever. Mrs.
Archer, writing from Bishop Stortford on December 7th, 1857, says, "When
Mr. A. prepared pupils for India he always taught the paper process as
well as the Collodion, for fear the chemicals should cause
disappointment in a hot climate, as I believe that the negative paper he
prepared differed from that in general use. I enclosed a specimen made
in our glass house.
"In Mr. Hunt's book, as well as Mr. Horne's, Mr. Fry's name is joined
with Mr. Archer's as the originators of the Collodion process.
"Should Mr. Hunt seem to require any corroboration of what I have stated
respecting Mr. Fry, I can send you many of Mr. Fry's notes of
invitation, when Mr. A. merely gave him lessons in the application of
collodion, and Mr. Brown gave me the correspondence which passed between
him and Mr. Fry on the subject at the time Mr. Home's book was
published. I did not send up those papers, for, unless required, it is
useless to dwell on old grievances, but I should like such a man as Mr.
Hunt to understand _how_ the association of the two names originated."
As to priority of application, the following letter ought to settle that
point:--
"_Alma Cottage, Bishop Stortford._
"_9th December, 1857._
"Sir,--My hunting has at length proved successful. In the enclosed book
you will find notes respecting the paper pulp, albumen, tanno-gelatine,
and collodion. You will therein see Mr. Archer's notes of iod-collodion
in 1849. You may wonder that I could not find this note-book before, but
the numbers of papers that there are, and the extreme disorder, defy
description. My head was in such a deplorable state before I left that I
could arrange nothing. Those around me were most anxious to destroy _all
the papers_, and I had great trouble to keep all with Mr. Archer's
handwriting upon them, however dirty and rubbishing they might appear,
so they were huddled together, a complete chaos. I look back with the
greatest thankfulness that my brain did not completely lose its balance,
for I had not a single relative who entered into Mr. Archer's pursuits,
so that they could not possibly assist me.
"Mr. Archer being of so reserved a character, I had to _find out_ where
everything was, and my search has been amongst different things. I need
not tell you that I hope this dirty enclosure will be taken care of.
"The paper pulp occupied much time; in fact, notes were only made of
articles which had been much tried, which might probably be brought into
use.--I am, sir, yours faithfully,
"_J. Hogg, Esq._
F. G. Archer."
If the foregoing is not evidence sufficient, I have by me a very good
_glass positive_ of Hever Castle, Kent, which was taken in the spring of
1849, and two collodion negatives made by Mr. Archer in the autumn of
1848; and these dates are all vouched for by Mr. Jabez Hogg, who was Mr.
Archer's medical attendant and friend, and knew him long before he began
his experiments with collodion--whereas I cannot find a trace even of
the _suggestion_ of the application of collodion in the practice of
photography either by Gustave Le Gray or J. R. Bingham prior to 1849;
while Mr. Archer's note-book proves that he was not only iodizing
collodion at that date, but making experiments with paper pulp and
_gelatine_; so that Mr. Archer was not only the inventor of the
collodion process, but was on the track of its destroyer even at that
early date. He also published his method of bleaching positives and
intensifying negatives with bichloride of mercury.
Frederick Scott Archer was born at Bishop Stortford in 1813, but there
is little known of his early life, and what little there is I will allow
Mrs. Archer to tell in her own way.
"Dear Sir,--I do not know whether the enclosed is what you require; if
not, be kind enough to let me know, and I must try to supply you with
something better. I thought you merely required particulars relating to
photography. Otherwise Mr. Archer's career was a singular one: Losing
his parents in childhood, he lived in a world of his own; I think you
know he was apprenticed to a bullion dealer in the city, where the most
beautiful antique gems and coins of all nations being constantly before
him, gave him the desire to model the figures, and led him to the study
of numismatics. He worked so hard at nights at these pursuits that his
master gave up the last two years of his time to save his life. He only
requested him to be on the premises, on account of his extreme
confidence in him.
"Many other peculiarities I could mention, but I dare say you know them
already.
"I will send a small case to you, containing some early specimens and
gutta-percha negatives, with a copy of Mr. A.'s portrait, which I found
on leaving Great Russell Street, and have had several printed from it.
It is not a good photograph, but I think you will consider it a
likeness. I am, yours faithfully,
"_J. Hogg, Esq._
F. G. Archer."
Frederick Scott Archer pursued the double occupation of sculptor and
photographer at 105, Great Russell Street. It was there he so
persistently persevered in his photographic experiments, and there he
died in May, 1857, and was interred in Kensal Green Cemetery. A
reference to the report of the Committee will show what was done for his
bereaved family--a widow and three children. Mrs. Archer followed her
husband in March, 1858, and two of the children died early; but one,
Alice (unmarried), is still alive and in receipt of the Crown pension of
fifty pounds per annum.
While the collodion episode in the history of photography is before my
readers, and especially as the process is rapidly becoming extinct, I
think this will be a suitable place to insert Archer's instructions for
making a _soluble_ gun-cotton, iodizing collodion, developing, and
fixing the photographic image.
_Gun-Cotton_ (_or Pyroxaline, as it was afterwards named_).
Take of dry nitre in powder 40 parts
Sulphuric acid 60 "
Cotton 2 "
The sulphuric acid and the nitre were mixed together, and immediately
the latter was all dissolved, the gun-cotton was added and well stirred
with a glass rod for about two minutes; then the cotton was plunged into
a large bowl of water and well washed with repeated changes of water
until the acid and nitre were washed away. The cotton was then pressed
and dried, and converted into collodion by dissolving 30 grains of
gun-cotton in 18 fluid ounces of ether and 2 ounces of alcohol--putting
the cotton into the ether first, and then adding the alcohol; the
collodion allowed to settle and decanted prior to iodizing. The latter
operation was performed by adding a sufficient quantity of iodide of
silver to each ounce of the plain collodion. Mr. Archer tells how to
make the iodide of silver, but the quantity is regulated by the quantity
of alcohol in the collodion. When the iodized collodion was ready for
use, a glass plate was cleaned and coated with it, and then sensitised
by immersion in a bath of nitrate of silver solution--30 grains of
nitrate of silver to each ounce of distilled water. From three to five
minutes' immersion in the silver bath was generally sufficient to
sensitise the plate. This, of course, had to be done in what is commonly
called a _dark room_. After exposure in the camera, the picture was
developed by pouring over the surface of the plate a solution of
pyrogallic acid of the following proportions:--
Pyrogallic acid 5 grains
Distilled water 10 ounces
Glacial acetic acid 40 minims