Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

[Mgreer]

I was doing some work with the Atlanta History Center Education Center and I saw this photo among photos they show to school groups. They had no clue what the man was wearing, but i thought it was a pritty cool image of a Mason who lived in the Atlanta area.

[mrgrzeskowiak]

Re: Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

What a great Photograph! looks like alot of fingerprints and some smearing of the image. (is this from handling?) I am a Wet Plate Photographer, and if you work with these photos again, I would suggest that they be shown in a case, or a cover glass should be placed on the image to protect it from future damages..

[David Gambrel]

Re: Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

Very good! I've have the honor this year as Master of my lodge to preside over two Masonic ceremonies for Union Major James Bridgewater and CS Lt. Col. Thomas W. Napier.

[Mgreer]

Re: Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

I think it is in its original case but I do not know how it was smugged

[ScottCross]

Re: Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

What a great Photograph! looks like alot of fingerprints and some smearing of the image. (is this from handling?) I am a Wet Plate Photographer, and if you work with these photos again, I would suggest that they be shown in a case, or a cover glass should be placed on the image to protect it from future damages..

It appears that this image is an Ambrotype, but I can't say positively without examining it. It may be a tintype, but it does not appear to be a Daguerreotype, from the poor quality.

Ambrotypes are very delicate images that well-meaning individuals, over the years, have decided to "Dust" and clean, and in their efforts have wiped off good portions, if not most, of the image. This explains the 'swipes' and finger prints. I see this every day as a photographic archivist.

The wet collodian process in ambotypes was not usually preserved, as with tintypes (same process), with a coat of shelac. A samll drop of water, much less a swipe of a piece of cloth, will erase the image from the glass plate it is attached to.

I'm sure that is what happened here with this image. Too bad.:cry_smile

[minieball]

Re: Masonic Photo from Atlanta GA

The wet collodian process in ambotypes was not usually preserved, as with tintypes (same process), with a coat of shelac. A samll drop of water, much less a swipe of a piece of cloth, will erase the image from the glass plate it is attached to.

Nearly all of the period manuals call for applying a photographic varnish (not shellac) to the plate after drying in preparation for the customer. I personally use a period recipe for photographic varnish using gum sandarac and grain alchohol.

In my experience, it's fairly rare to encounter an unvarnished plate especially if there is any applied tinting on the image as the photographic varnish keeps the powdered color in place. One reason for the occasional unvarnished image may be that, as most images of the period went into cases, an artist would simply skip this step. The cased image would have a gilded brass mat and a clear glass cover as protection. Also, as a clear glass ambrotype needs a black background to show as a "positive", the artist may paint the image on the collodion-side with an ashphaltum-based black paint in order to provide a correctly orientation. Thus no varnish will be apparent

Water will not attack collodion (remember: water is used through out the wet-plate collodion process), but alchohol, ether or similar solvent will do so. Rewetting an image may, in some cases, cause lifting of the dried collodion film especially ambrotypes.

Water will certainly spot the varnish on a finished image.

The image in the first post appears to have been abraded by someones inept attempt at cleaning.


Hope this information is helpful.