Wothlytypia
The Wothlytypie was a photographic high quality printing process named after its inventor Jacob Wothly , in which uranium salts were used as a light-sensitive layer. It was only used for a short time in the 1860s and was then replaced by technically superior and health-less hazardous processes.
Characteristics
The Wothlytypie made it possible to take pictures directly on paper, without an intermediate negative. The photo emulsion consisted of a special uranium collodion, which replaced the iodides , chlorine or silver bromide . After exposure, the image was directly visible and was fixed immediately. The Virage was in varying shades from deep blue-black to purple done -Black. Time savings and the lack of expensive silver were named as advantages over competing processes. In addition, the collodion layer could also be transferred to ivory , wood , glass , porcelain and similar materials.
Procedure
First, the uranium collodion was applied to the paper, which was done with a brush, sponge or in a sensitizing bath, depending on the type of paper. After exposure, the images were immersed in an acidic bath for cleaning. The prints were to remove the acid washed, then in a Tönungsbad and then in a fixing bath immersed. These two operations could also be combined. Finally the pictures were washed a second time.
history
Even before Wothly, numerous photographers had dealt with the use of uranium salts in photography without lasting success. In 1865, Wothly used his new uranium- platinum- collodion process for positive paper images , in which he used platinum and palladium compounds to reduce the uranium salt. The Wothlytypie was patented in Germany , America (August 15, 1865), Belgium (February 15, 1865 / No. 17147), England , France (November 26, 1864), Portugal and Spain . For France and Belgium, the Société française de Wothlytypie, which was specially founded by Emmanuel Mangel du Mesnil, took on the licensing and distribution.
The Wothlytypie was considered dangerous and controversial. Wothly suggested the use of various ingredients and experimented for years to improve his process. It is unclear whether Wothly's early death at the age of only 50 can be traced back to his experiments with this radioactive element or, as previously suspected, to the loss of his assets after the bankruptcy of his banker. After Wothly's death in 1873, the Wothlytypie disappeared from the market. After uranium was recognized as the cause of the so-called photographer's disease ( inflammation of the kidneys and gastritis ), this element was hardly used in photography.
literature
- Jacob Wothly, Mangel du Mesnil: Application de nouveaux procédés photographiques , Paris, Siège de la société, 1865, volume 1, p. 47.
Web links
- Detailed description of the "Wothlytypie" in Photographische Correspondenz , 1865, online
- Wothly and the Wothlytypie in "Photographisches Archiv", 1864.
Individual evidence
- ↑ American patent .
- ^ "Positive photographic printing process called Wothlytypie". Archived from the original on November 12, 2008 ; Retrieved February 8, 2016 (English, description of French patent no. 65551).
- ^ Announcements from the Association of Friends of Mining in Graubünden. Foundation Mining Museum Schmelzboden-Davos. 52. 2/1990. May 1990. 14th year. “Two hundred years of uranium” p. 18. ( Memento of the original from September 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 1.94 MB).
