342 Mr. E. Marriott on Oelatino-CJihride Papers. 



bath. We are informed that the addition of chloride of gold to 

 hypochloride must give rise to sulphur compounds, and therefore 

 Bulphuration of prints must follow. I am not chemist enough 

 to discuss this point, but experience ranks before theory, and I 

 never get this sulphuration, except from thoroughly exhausted 

 baths ; when yellowing appears it is time to make up a fresh 

 bath or add gold. Experts are unable to decide how it is that 

 albumen prints toned in such old-fashioned baths as sel d'or 

 (sulphur toning notwithstanding) retain their beauty for years, 

 while modern alkaline baths fail to yield this permanency. Per- 

 haps the heavier silvering of bygone days played its part, and 

 in the gelatino- chloride paper the conditions are somewhat 

 analogous, as with this process we can print from more vigorous 

 negatives, get a denser deposit of silver upon the print, and 

 reduce gold upon the image to an extent impossible to modern 

 albumen paper, without fear of over-toning. When the prints 

 in the bath have nearly reached the required tint they are 

 removed to clean water and well washed for two or three hours 

 in several changes of water. I thoroughly wash glass, celluloid, 

 enamelled iron, or ebonite ; if glass, I dry it, and rub a little 

 talc over it with a soft rag. When I wish to be especially careful, 

 I put both print and glass under water to exclude all air. The 

 print is then squeezed down, and, when satisfied that all air- 

 bubbles are removed, the print with its support combination is 

 set on one side to dry ; excessive heat must not be used, or the 

 prints will resist all efforts to remove them in a whole condition. 

 They will not leave their support until they are quite dry, and, 

 with me, seldom fall off. I generally raise one corner and pull 

 them oft'. I keep pieces of celluloid in a stone jar, they are 

 covered with water, free from dust, and always ready. 



In Matt- surfacing, proceed exactly in the same way as with 

 enamelling, only use a ground surface instead of a polished one. 

 If the prints are to be mounted with starch, they should be 

 backed whilst damp, and in contact with the support. To save 

 this operation many dealers keep a spirit or naphtha mountant, 

 but I have not tried any of these. White shellac dissolved in 

 methylated spirit, and strained through fine muslin, will, I 

 believe, act well as a mountant. Several of the prints exhibited 

 were mounted with a mixture of glue and methylated spirit, but 

 as this is only an idea of my own, and has not been tested long 

 enough, I do not advise it. Used carefully it does not injure 

 the surface of the print. 



