Photographic Processes Descriptions

Early Direct-Image Photographic Processes

Daguerreotypes

Direct-image photographs on silver-coated copper; introduced in 1839 and in general use until ca. 1860; distinctive mirror-like surface; commonly in a case.

Tintypes

Direct-image photographs in which the collodion negative supported by a dark-lacquered thin iron sheet appears as a positive image. Popular mid-1850s through 1860s; in use through 1930s. Usually small portraits.

Ambrotypes

Direct-image photographs; the chemically reduced collodion glass negative packaged against a dark background appears as a positive. Commonly in a case; popular mid-1850s to mid-1860s.

19th-century paper based photographs

Salted paper photoprints

Limited here to photoprints in which the silver particles are in the paper rather than on the surface in a gelatin or other matrix; introduced in 1839; in use through 1860s.

Cyanotypes

Blue photoprints employing light-sensitive iron salts, most corrrmonly on paper; introduced in the 1840s but not in general use until after 1880; often used as proofs.

Albumen photoprints

Predominant paper print process in the 1800's; popular 1850's-1890's.

Platinum photoprints

Photoprints on paper sensitized with platinum salts. Introduced commercially in 1879 as Platinotypes. Papers manufactured until around World War I; revived since the 1960s by photographers who coat their own paper.

Palladium pbotoprints

Photoprints on paper sensitized with palladium salts. Introduced during World War I when platinum became prohibitively expensive; not comnercially available after the 1920s.

Collodion printing-out paper photoprints

Available in the 1860s but not popular until late 1880s; chief commercial portrait medium 1895-1910. Glossy version has warm image hues while the matte version, which dom’nated from the mid-1890s, has near-neutral image hues. Usually toned with gold or platinum so that images show little or no fading. They do not show silver mirroring.

Silver gelatin printing-out paper photoprints

Introduced in the 1880s; still marketed as studio proof paper.

Card Mounted Photographs

Cartes de visite

Card photographs; mounts measure approximately 4 x 2.5 in. (10 x 6 an.). Introduced in the United States in 1859; made into the 1900s.

Cigarette cards

Insert cards enclosed with cigarettes. Flourished in the United States 1885-1895 and 1909-1917; printed or photo.

Boudoir card photographs

Card photographs; mounts measure approximately 8.5 x 5.5 in. (22 x 14 cm.). Introduced in the United States ca. 1890.

Cabinet card photographs

Card photographs; mounts measure approximately 5.5 x 4.5 in. (17 x 11 cm.). Introduced in the United States in 1866; popular until ca. 1900.

Imperial card photographs

Card photographs; mounts measure approximately 10 x 7 in. (26 x 18 cm.). Introduced in the United States ca. 1890.

Panel card photographs

Card photographs; moonts measure approximately 13 x 7.5 in. (33 x 19 cm.). Variant sizes include 17 x 10.5 in. (43 x 27 cm.) and 23 x 14 in. (59 x 35 cm.).

Stereograph card photographs

Two nearly identical photographs, photomechanical prints, or other graphics paired to produce the illusion of a single three-dimensional image. The effect is usually viewed with the aid of a stereoscope. Typically, photoprints on cardboard mounts of standard sizes, but IMy [check] be daguerreotypes, glass or film transparencies, photonegatives, halftones, or other processes. Card mounts commonly 3.5 x 7 in. (9 x 18 an.) up to 5 x 7 in. (12 x 18 cm.). Commercially popular in the United States 1850s-1920s.

Kodak card photographs

Card photographs made from a Kodak no. 1 or no. 2 camera; mounts measure approximately 4.25 x 5.25 in. (11 x 13 cm.). Produced 1888-1890s; images are circular; mounts marked Kodak.

Modern photographs

Silver gelatin photoprints

Photoprints made by several formulas, the earliest introduced in the 1880s; dominant black-and-white photoprint process since the 1890s. various common developing-out papers that are very difficult to distinguish by visual inspection (e.g., bromide, chloride or gaslight, and chloro-bromide) and one printing-out process are included.

Dye coupler photoprints

Most color photoprints (except instant camera) made since 1941 are included. Commonly referred to as Type C if made from a negative and Type R if made from a transparency. A chromogenic development process.

Dye destruction photoprints

Color photoprints made under various trade names including Utocolor in the early 1900s and Gasparcolor in the 1930s. Cibachronre, introduced in 1963, is the modern representative of this process. Valued in part for the relative stability of the color dyes.

Dye coupler photonegatives

Trade names include Kodacolor (launched in 1942 as the first commercial color negative process in the United States), Ektacolor (1947), and Fujicolor. A chromogenic development process.

Dye coupler phototransparencies

Trade names include Kodachrome and Agfacolor (both introduced in 1936), Ektachrome (introduced in the 1940s), and Fujichrome. A chromogenic development process.

Resin-coated paper photoprints

Photoprints on a paper base coated on both sides with plastic to reduce processing time; introduced ca. 1970.

Positive Classifications

Phototransparencies

Black-and-white or color positive image photographs usually intended for viewing by transmitted light, whether from the sun or other light source or via a projection device. On film, glass, or translucent paper base.

Lantern slides

Hand-drawn, painted, or photographic images (sometimes colored) on glass intended for viewing by projection; often made in sets. Phototransparency lantern slides were introduced in the United States by 1850 and popular through World War I; commonly 3.25 x 4 in. (9 x 10 cm.) with a black paper mask, a cover glass, and taped edges, although also in circular and novelty shapes. Emulsion may be albumen, collodion, or silver gelatin.

Negative Classifications

Photonegatives

Photographs in which the tonal values are the opposite of those in the subject to which the negative was exposed. Their purpose is to be a matrix for obtaining multiple positive images of the subject.

Wet plate photonegatives

Dominant glass negative process from its introduction in the United States ca. 1855 until replaced by the dry plate process in the 1880s. Its use continued for photolithographic printing plates until World War II. Distinguishable in part by creamy rather than grayish black tones and by presence of flow lines from hand coating of the emulsion.

Dry plate photonegatives

Silver gelatin dry plate photonegatives were the dominant glass negative ca. 1880-1920. Dry plate negatives were made as early as the 1850s with collodion, honey, and other solutions, but they were not comnercially successful and are difficult to distinguish from collodion wet plate negatives.

Film photonegatives

Photonegatives on a flexible base, such as celluloid or polyester. Introduced commercially in the 1880s.

Cellulose nitrate photonegatives

In use 1887-ca. 1950; flammable.

Cellulose diacetate photonegatives

Difficult to distinguish from cellulose triacetate negatives unless they already show deterioration, typically differential shrinkage and reticulation. Marketed 1926-1956.

Cellulose triacetate photonegatives

Introduced in 1947. Difficult to distinguish from undeteriorated cellulose diacetate negatives.

Safety film photonegatives SEE Film photonegatives

Introduced in the 1950's to replace Cellulose nitrate, Cellulose diacetate and Cellulose triacetate photonegatives. On a flexible base of polyester.