An old notebook containing around sixteen handwritten pages devoted to photographic processes, with formulae for developers using amidol, iconogen and hydroquinone, dosage tables, and advice on developing posed or instantaneous photographs. It also covers intensifying negatives with cadmium bromide, improving overly contrasty photographs, and various practical recipes, including glue preparations. References to Balagny and the photographic press, including a mention of the 15 April 1895 issue of Photo-Revue, accompany these notes. Written on the available pages of a notebook made from printed commercial documents and enhanced with corrections and loose sheets, this collection bears witness to the preparatory work and adjustments required in early silver photography.
✦ Period: late 19th to early 20th century, ✦ Provenance: France, text in French ✦ Dimensions: approximately 21 × 13 cm ✦ Materials: paper, inks and printed elements ✦ Contents: approximately 16 handwritten pages of photographic formulae and advice ✦ Condition: aged paper, a few stains, creases and signs of handling, wear to the edges and corners. The writing is generally easy to read, with old crossings-out and corrections.
A collectible document for enthusiasts of the history of photography, silver-based darkroom processes and early technical manuscripts.
