and iodised collodion, and made collodion negatives in the autumn.
1849. Collodion _positive_ of Hever Castle, Kent, made by Frederick
Scott Archer _early_ in the year.
-- M. Gustave Le Gray _suggested_ the application of collodion to
photography.
1850. "A Practical Treatise on Photography upon Paper and Glass," by
Gustave Le Gray. Translated from the French by Thomas Cousins, and
published by T. and R. Willats. This book is said to contain the first
printed notice of collodion being used in photography.
-- R. J. Bingham, London, suggested the use of collodion and gelatine in
photography.
-- M. Poitevin's gelatine process, published January 25th.
1851. Frederick Scott Archer published his collodion process in the
March number of _The Chemist_, and introduced pyrogallic acid as a
developer December 20th.
-- Fox Talbot announced his instantaneous process, and obtained, at the
Royal Institution, a copy of the _Times_ newspaper, while revolving
rapidly, by the light of an electric spark.
-- Niepce de St. Victor's heliochromic process, published June 22nd.
Examples sent to the judges of the International Exhibition of 1862. See
Jurors' Report thereon, pp. 88-9.
-- Sir David Brewster's improved stereoscope applied to photography.
1851. "Photography, a Treatise on the Chemical Changes produced by Solar
Radiation, and the Production of Pictures from Nature, by the
Daguerreotype, Calotype, and other Photographic Processes," by Robert
Hunt. Published by J. J. Griffin and Co., London and Glasgow.
1852. "Archer's Hand-Book of Collodion Process." Published May 14th.
Second edition, enlarged; published 1854.
-- "Archer's Collodion _Positive_ Process." Published July 20th.
-- Fox Talbot's photo-engraving on steel process; patented October
29th.
1853. A Manual of Photography, by Robert Hunt, published.
-- Photographic Society of London founded. Sir Charles Eastlake, P.R.A.,
President; Roger Fenton, Esq., Secretary. First number of the Society's
Journal published March 3rd.
-- Cutting's American patent for use of bromides in collodion obtained
June 11th, and his Ambrotype process introduced in America.
-- "The Waxed-Paper Process," by Gustave Le Gray. Translated from the
French with a supplement, by James How. Published by G. Knight and Co.,
Foster Lane, Cheapside.
-- Frederick Scott Archer introduced a triple lens to shorten the focus
of a double combination lens.
1854. E. R., of Tavistock, published directions for the use of isinglass
as a substitute for collodion.
-- First series of photographic views of Kenilworth Castle, &c., from
collodion negatives, published by Frederick Scott Archer.
-- Liverpool Photographic Journal, first published by Henry Greenwood,
bi-monthly.
-- First roller-slide patented by Messrs. Spencer and Melhuish, May
22nd.
-- Fox Talbot first applied albumen to paper to obtain a finer surface
for photographic printing.
-- Photo-Enamel process; first patent December 13th.
-- Dry collodion plates first introduced.
1855. M. Poitevin's helioplastic process patented February 20th.
-- Dr. J. M. Taupenot's dry plate process introduced.
-- Photo-galvanic process patented June 5th.
-- "Hardwich's Photographic Chemistry." First edition, published March
12th.
-- Ferrotype process introduced in America by Mr. J. W. Griswold.
1856. "Photographic Notes." Edited by Thomas Sutton. Commenced January
1st; bi-monthly.
1856. Sutton's Calotype process, published March.
1856. Dr. Hill Norris's dry plate process. Patented September 1st.
1856. Caranza published method of toning silver prints with chloride of
platinum.
1857. Moule's photogene, artificial light for portraiture. Patented
February 18th.
-- Carte-de-visite portraits introduced by M. Ferrier, of Nice.
-- Kinnear Camera introduced. Made by Bell, Edinburgh.
1858. Pouncy's Carbon process patented April 10th.
-- Skaife's Pistolgraph camera introduced.
1858. J. C. Burnett exposed the back of the carbon paper and obtained
half-tones.
-- Fox Talbot's photo-etching process, patented April 20th.
-- Paul Pretsch's photo-engraving process introduced.
-- "Sutton's Dictionary of Photography," published August 17th.
-- _The Photographic News_, founded, weekly. First number published
September 10th, by Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, London.
-- "Fothergill Dry Process," by Alfred Keene, published August.
1859. Sutton's panoramic camera patented, September 28th.
-- Photo-lithographic Transfer process patented by Osborne, in
Melbourne, Australia.
-- Wm. Blair, of Perth, secured half-tone in carbon printing by allowing
the light to pass through the back of the paper on which the pigment was
spread.
-- Asser, of Amsterdam, also invented a photo-lithographic transfer
process about this time.
1860. "Principles and Practice of Photography," by Jabez Hughes. First
edition published; fourteenth edition, 1887.
-- Fargier coated carbon surface with collodion, exposed, and
transferred to glass to develop.
-- Spectroscope invented by Kertchoff and Bunsen.
1860. "Year-Book of Photography," edited by G. Wharton Simpson, first
published.
-- Improved Kinnear camera with swing front and back by Meagher.
1861. Captain Dixon's iodide emulsion process patented, April 29th.
-- M. Gaudin, of Paris, employed gelatine in his photogene, and
published in _La Lumiere_ his collodio-iodide and collodio-chloride
processes.
-- H. Anthony, New York, discovered that Tannin dry plates could be
developed by moisture and ammonia vapour.
1862. "Alkaline Development," published by Major Russell.
-- Meagher's square bellows camera, with folding bottom board, exhibited
at the International Exhibition. Noticed in Jurors' Report.
-- Parkesine, the forerunner of celluloid films, invented by Alexander
Parkes, of Birmingham.
1863. Pouncy's fatty ink process; patented January 29th.
-- Toovey's photo-lithographic process; patented June 29th.
-- "Tannin Process," published by Major Russell.
-- "Popular Treatise on Photography," by D. Van Monckhoven. Translated
from the French by W. H. Thornthwaite, London.
1864. Swan's improved carbon process; patented August 27th.
-- "Collodio-Bromide Emulsion," by Messrs. B. J. Sayce and W. B. Bolton;
published September 9th.
-- "Collodio-Chloride Emulsion," by George Wharton Simpson; published in
_The Photographic News_, October 28th.
-- Willis's aniline process; patented November 11th.
-- Obernetter's chromo-photo process; published.
-- Instantaneous dry collodion processes by Thomas Sutton, B.A. Sampson,
Low, Son, and Marston, London.
1865. Paper read on "Collodio-Chloride Emulsion," by George Wharton
Simpson, at the Photographic Society, March 14th.
1865. Photography, a lecture, by the Hon. J. W. Strutt, now Lord
Rayleigh, delivered April 18th; and afterwards published.
-- Eburneum process; published by J. Burgess, Norwich, in _The
Photographic News_, May 5th.
-- Bromide as a restrainer in the developer; published by Major Russell.
1865. Interior of Pyramids of Egypt, photographed by Professor Piazzi
Smyth with the magnesium light.
-- W. H. Smith patented a gelatino-bromide or gelatino-chloride of
silver process for wood blocks, &c.
1866. Magic photographs revived and popularised.
-- Woodburytype process patented by Walter Bentley Woodbury, of
Manchester, July 24th.
-- Photography reviewed, in _British Quarterly Review_, by George
Wharton Simpson, October 1st.
1867. M. Poitevin obtained the balance of the Duc de Luynes's prize for
permanent printing.
-- Cabinet portraits introduced by F. R. Window, photographer, Baker
Street, London.
1868. W. H. Harrison experimented with gelatino-bromide of silver and
obtained results, though somewhat rough and unsatisfactory.
1869. John Robert Johnson's carbon process double transfer patented.
-- "Pictorial Effect in Photography," by H. P. Robinson, first edition.
London: Piper and Carter.
1870. Thomas Sutton described Gaudin's gelatino-iodide process.
-- Jabez Hughes toned collodion transfers with chloride of palladium.
-- John Robert Johnson's single transfer process for carbon printing
patented.
1871. Dr. R. L. Maddox, of Southampton, published his experiments with
gelatino-bromide of silver in the _British Journal of Photography_,
September 8th.
1872. "Emaux Photographiques" (photographic enamels), second edition, by
Geymet and Alker, Paris.
1873. J. Burgess, of Peckham, advertised his gelatino-bromide of silver
emulsion, but it would not keep, so had to be withdrawn.
-- Ostendo non Ostento published a gelatino-bromide of silver formula
with alcohol.
-- Platinotype process patented by W. Willis, junior, June 1st.
1873. R. Kennett's gelatino-bromide of silver pellicle patented November
20th.
-- "The Ferrotypers' Guide" published by Scovill Manufacturing Company,
New York.
1874. R. Kennett issued his gelatino-bromide of silver dry plates in
March.
-- Gelatino-bromide of silver paper first announced by Peter Mawdsley,
of Liverpool Dry Plate Company.
-- "Backgrounds by Powder Process" published by J. Werge, London.
-- Flexible supports in carbon printing patented by John Robert Sawyer,
of the Autotype Company.
-- Leon Lambert's carbon printing process patented.
1875. Demonstrations in carbon printing by L. Lambert given in London
and elsewhere.
-- Eder and Toth intensified collodion negatives and toned lantern
slides with chloride of platinum.
1876. "Practical Treatise on Enamelling and Retouching," by P. Piquepe,
Piper and Carter, London.
1877. Ferrous oxalate developer published June 29th.
-- Wratten precipitated the gelatine emulsion with alcohol, and so
avoided the necessity of dialysing.
1878. Improvement in platinotype patented by W. Willis, junior, July.
-- Abney's "Treatise on Photography" published.
-- Abney's "Emulsion Process" published.
1879. J. Werge's non-actinic developing tray introduced at the South
London Photographic Society.
1880. "Principles and Practice of Photography," by Jabez Hughes,
comprising instructions to make and manipulate gelatino dry plates, by
J. Werge. London: Simpkin and Marshall, and J. Werge.
-- Gelatino-bromide of silver paper introduced by Messrs. Morgan and
Kidd.
-- Platinotype improvement patent granted.
-- Iodides added to gelatino-bromide of silver emulsions by Captain W.
de W. Abney.
1880. Warnerke's sensitometer introduced.
-- "The Argentic Gelatino-Bromide Workers' Guide," by John Burgess. W.
T. Morgan and Co., Greenwich.
-- "Photography; its Origin, Progress, and Practice," by J. Werge.
London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.
-- Hydroquinone developer introduced by Dr. Eder and Captain Toth.
1881. Stannotype process introduced by Walter Woodbury.
-- Photographers in Great Britain and Ireland 7,614 as per census
returns.
-- "Modern Dry Plates; or Emulsion Photography," by Dr. J. M. Eder,
translated from the German by H. Wilmer, edited by H. B. Pritchard.
London: Piper and Carter.
-- "Pictorial Effect in Photography," by H. P. Robinson (cheap edition).
Piper and Carter.
-- "The Art and Practice of Silver Printing," by H. P. Robinson and
Captain Abney. Piper and Carter.
1882. Herbert B. Berkeley recommended the use of sulphite of soda with
pyrogallic acid to prevent discolouration of film.
-- "Recent Advances in Photography" (Cantor Lectures, Society of Arts),
Captain Abney. London: Piper and Carter.
1882. "The A B C of Modern Photography," comprising practical
instructions for working gelatine dry plates, by W. K. Burton. London:
Piper and Carter.
1882. "Elementary Treatise on Photographic Chemistry," by A. Spiller.
London: Piper and Carter.
1883. Translation of Captain Pizzighelli and Baron A. Hubl's booklet on
"Platinotype;" published in _The Photographic Journal_.
-- Orthochromatic dry plates; English patent granted to Tailfer and
Clayton, January 8th.
-- "The Chemical Effect of the Spectrum," by Dr. J. M. Eder. (Translated
from the German by Captain Abney). London: Harrison and Sons.
1883. "The Chemistry of Light and Photography," by Dr. H. Vogel. London:
Kegan Paul.
1884. "Recent Improvements in Photo-Mechanical Printing Methods," by
Thomas Bolas, Society of Arts, London.
-- "Picture-Making by Photography," by H. P. Robinson. London: Piper and
Carter.
1885. "Photography and the Spectroscope," by Capt. Abney, Society of
Arts.
-- "The Spectroscope and its Relation to Photography," by C. Ray Woods.
London: Piper and Carter.
-- "Photo-Micrography," by A. C. Malley; second edition. London: H. K.
Lewis.
1886. Orthochromatic results exhibited by Dixon and Sons at the
photographic exhibition in October.
-- English patent rights of Tailfer and Clayton's orthochromatic process
secured by B. J. Edwards and Co., Nov. 18th.
1887. Platinotype improvements; two patents.
1888. Pizzighelli's visible platinotype printing paper put on the market
in June.
1889. Eikonogen developer patented by Dr. Andresen, of Berlin, Germany,
March 26th.
-- Wire frames and supports in camera extensions patented by Thomas
Rudolph Dallmeyer and Francis Beauchamp, November 6th.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHOTOGRAPHIC LITERATURE.
BY
JOHN WERGE.
_Originally published in the "Photographic News," "British Journal
of Photography," Photographic Year-Book, and Photographic Almanac._
PICTURES OF NIAGARA.
Taken with Camera, Pen, and Pencil.
Many very beautiful and interesting photographic views of Niagara Falls,
and other places of romantic and marvellous interest, have been taken
and exhibited to the world. Indeed, they are to be seen now in almost
every print-seller's window; and in the albums, stereoscopes, or folios
of almost every private collector. But I question very much if it ever
occurred to the mind of anyone, while looking at those pictures, what an
amount of labour, expense, and danger had to be endured and encountered
to obtain them--"the many hairbreadth 'scapes by flood and field," of a
very "positive" character, which had to be risked before some of the
"negatives" could be "boxed." Doubtless Mr. England, Mr. Stephen
Thompson, and Mr. Wilson have many very vivid recollections of the
critical situations they have been in while photographing the
picturesque scenery of the Alpine passes of Switzerland, and the
Highlands and glens of Scotland.
Mr. Stephen Thompson has narrated to me one or two of his "narrow
escapes" while photographing his "Swiss scenes," and I am sure Mr.
England did not procure his many and beautiful "points of view" of
Niagara Falls without exposing himself to considerable risk.
I had the good fortune to be one of the earlier pioneers, in company
with a Yankee friend, Mr. Easterly, in taking photographs of the Falls;
and my recollections of the manner in which we "went about," poised
ourselves and cameras on "points of rock" and "ledges of bluffs," and
felled trees, and lopped off branches overhanging precipices, to "gain a
point," even at the distant date are somewhat thrilling. To take a
photograph of what is called "Visitors' View" is safe and easy enough.
You might plant a dozen cameras on the open space at the brink of the
"American Fall," and photograph the scene, visitors and all, as they
stand, "fixed" with wonder, gazing at the Falls, American, Centre, and
Horseshoe, Goat Island, and the shores of Canada included, for this
point embraces in one view all those subjects. But to get at the
out-of-the-way places, to take the Falls in detail, and obtain some of
the grandest views of them, is a very different matter.
I remember, when we started, taking a hatchet with us, like
backwoodsmen, to take a view of Prospect Tower, on the American side of
the great Horseshoe Fall, how we had to hew down the trees that
obstructed the light; how we actually hung over the precipice, holding
on to each other's hands, to lop off a branch still in sight where it
was not wanted. The manner in which we accomplished this was what some
bystanders pronounced "awful." I hugged a sapling of a silver birch,
growing on the brink of the precipice, with my left arm, while friend
Easterly, holding my right hand with one of the Masonic grips--I won't
say which--_hung over_ the precipice, and stretching out as far as he
could reach, lopped off the offending branch. Yet in this perilous
position my lively companion must crack his joke by punning upon my
name, and a Cockney weakness at the same time, for he "guessed he was
below the _w_erge of the precipice." The branch down, and we had resumed
our perpendicular positions, he simply remarked, if that was not
holding on to a man's hand in _friendship_, he did not know what was.
But the _work_ was not done yet; to get the view of the Tower we wanted,
we had to make a temporary platform over the precipice. This we managed
by laying a piece of "lumber" across a fallen tree, and, unshipping the
camera, shoved it along the plank until it was in position, balancing
the shore end of the plank with heavy stones. When all was ready for
exposure, I went round and stood on the point of a jutting rock to give
some idea of the great depth of the Fall, but I very nearly discovered,
and just escaped being myself the plummet. In the excitement of the
moment, and not thinking that the rock would be slimy and slippery with
the everlasting spray, I went too rapidly forward, and the rock having a
slight decline, I slipped, but was fortunately brought up by a juniper
bush growing within a foot of the edge. For a second or two I lay on my
back wondering if I could slide out of my difficulty as easily as I had
slidden into it. In a moment I determined to go backwards on my back,
hands, and feet, until I laid hold of another bush, and could safely
assume a perpendicular position. After giving the signal that "all was
right," the plate was exposed, and I _cautiously_ left a spot I have no
desire to revisit. But it is astonishing how the majesty and grandeur of
the scene divest the mind of all sense of fear, and to this feeling, to
a great extent, is attributed the many accidents and terrible deaths
that have befallen numerous visitors to the Falls.
The Indians, the tribe of the Iroquois, who were the aboriginal
inhabitants of that part of the country, had a tradition that the "Great
Spirit" of the "Mighty Waters" required the sacrifice of two human lives
every year. To give rise to such a tradition, doubtless, many a red man,
in his skiff, had gone over the Falls, centuries before they were
discovered by the Jesuit missionary, Father Hennepin, in 1678; and, even
in these days of Christian civilization, and all but total extirpation
of the aboriginals, the "Great Spirit" does not appear to be any less
exacting. Nearly every year one or more persons are swept over those
awful cataracts, making an average of at least one per annum. Many
visitors and local residents have lost their lives under the most
painful and afflicting circumstances, the most remarkable of which
occurred just before my visit. One morning, at daylight, a man was
discovered in the middle of the rapids, a little way above the brink of
the American Fall. He was perched upon a log which was jammed between
two rocks. One end of the log was out of the water, and the poor fellow
was comparatively dry, but with very little hope of being rescued from
his dreadful situation. No one could possibly reach him in a boat. The
foaming and leaping waters were rushing past him at the rate of eighteen
or twenty miles an hour, and he knew as well as anyone that to attempt a
rescue in a boat or skiff would be certain destruction, yet every effort
was made to save him. Rafts were made and let down, but they were either
submerged, or the ropes got fast in the rocks. The life-boat was brought
from Buffalo, Lake Erie, and that was let down to him by ropes from the
bridge, but they could not manage the boat in that rush of waters, and
gave it up in despair. One of the thousands of agonized spectators, a
Southern planter, offered a thousand dollars reward to anyone that would
save the "man on the log." Another raft was let down to him, and this
time was successfully guided to the spot. He got on it, but being weak
from exposure and want, he was unable to make himself fast or retain his
hold, and the doomed man was swept off the raft and over the Falls
almost instantly, before the eyes of thousands, who wished, but were
powerless and unable, to rescue him from his frightful death. His name
was Avery. He and another man were taking a pleasure sail on the Upper
Niagara river, their boat got into the current, was sucked into the
rapids, and smashed against the log or the rock. The other man went over
the Falls at the time of the accident; but Avery clung to the log, where
he remained for about eighteen hours in such a state of mind as no one
could possibly imagine. None could cheer him with a word of hope, for
the roar of the rapids and thunder of the cataracts rendered all other
sounds inaudible. Mr. Babbitt, a resident photographer, took several
Daguerreotypes of the "man on the log," one of which he kindly presented
to me. Few of the bodies are ever recovered. One or two that went over
the Great Horse Shoe Fall were found, their bodies in a state of
complete nudity. The weight or force of the water strips them of every
particle of clothing; but that is not to be wondered at, considering the
immense weight of water that rolls over every second, the distance it
has to fall, and the depth of the foaming cauldron below. The fall of
the Horse Shoe to the surface of the lower river is 158 feet, and the
depth of the cauldron into which the Upper Niagara leaps about 300 feet,
making a total of 458 feet from the upper to the lower bed of the
Niagara River at the Great Horse Shoe Fall. It has been computed that
one hundred million, two hundred thousand tons of water pass over the
Falls every hour. The depth of the American Fall is 164 feet; but that
falls on to a mass of broken rocks a few feet above the level of the
lower river.