_77, Cannon-street, E.C., January 26, 1872._
AMMONIA FUMING.
_To the_ EDITORS.
GENTLEMEN,—In your useful little ALMANAC for the present year there is
an article by Mr. A. L. Henderson, enthusiastically written, in favour
of fuming.
Now, in accordance with his recommendation, I have tried the said
fuming; but my first essay has certainly not impressed me very strongly
as regards its favourable results—whether from my own defective
manipulation or not I cannot say.
I found that the paper—especially some of Marion’s thick Saxe—assumed a
most disagreeable yellow colour after fuming, and it maintained that
colour through all subsequent operations—as a matter of course, spoiling
the prints. Another sample of (Rive) paper procured from another dealer
was not quite so faulty in this respect; still, in neither case was the
brilliancy of the prints enhanced—rather deteriorated, I
thought—although Mr. Henderson maintains so stoutly the advantages of
fuming in this respect. Again: instead of the toning being quicker and
more regular in action, as Mr. Henderson states, I found it much the
reverse.
I think that I must be wrong somewhere in my working, and I wish to ask
your opinion or Mr. Henderson’s on the best mode of proceeding—assuming
it to be really worth while to adopt fuming. I used an oblong box about
two feet in length by one foot in breadth, placing at the bottom a
narrow-necked bottle containing about two ounces of liquor ammonia,
fuming two quarter-sheets of paper for about ten minutes, with the
result above stated.
Have I omitted any necessary addition? or have I proceeded wrongly?—I
am, yours, &c.,