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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Skpt, 



mercury, whilst the other parts are impervious to its action. The mercury 

 Tapours thus form the li^liler parts of the picture, whilst the dark polish 

 of the silver plate constitutes the shadows. The particles of mercury 

 deposited on the plate are so minute as to be scarcely visible by a power- 

 ful microscope, and the evaporation of the liquid metal at the ordinary 

 temperature of the atmosphere is sufficient to bring out the Daguerreotype 

 picture when placed over it — but this would require three or four hours. 

 To facilitate the operation a spirit-lamp is used, which should be carefully 

 applied, that the mercury may not be too much heated. The mercury- 

 boxes usually sold have thermometers attached to them, and the tempera- 

 lure should not exceed ISO" Fah.; but a little experience will teach how 

 to regulate the heat without a thermometer, by applying the Dngers occa- 

 sionally at the bottom, which should not become too hot to be touched. In 

 a minute or two the picture will begin to develope itself, and will then 

 gradually come out till it attains its greatest distinctness. If it remain too 

 lone, the details become less sharply defined ; it is better, therefore, to 

 remove the plate when all the objects appear distinctly developed. It is 

 generally recommended to heat the mercury to the highest point allowed, 

 then to withdraw the lamp till the mercury cools, and apply heat again, 

 and so on until the deposition of mercurial vapour is completed ; but we 

 prefer lowering the flame of the spirit-lamp, so as to produce a mere glim- 

 mer, and to allow it to remain burning for three or four minutes, after 

 which to leave the plate undisiurbed till it cools. If, when this process is 

 completed, there appears a perfect picture when the operator peeps into 

 the box with a taper's light, the pleasure he experiences amply repays all 

 the trouble he has taken, and he will feel disposed to exult as much at the 

 product as if it were the result of his elaborated skill, whereas his only 

 achievement has been that of having fixed the peucillings of Nature. 



The picture is now obained, but it is not yet secured. Were it to be 

 exposed to light, the sensitive coaling slill upon the plate would pass 

 through a variety of changes of colour, and darken into a purple. To 

 prevent the further action of light, the plate must be immersed in a solution 

 of hyposulphite of soda, in the proportion of not less than half an ounce 

 to a pint of distilled water. This solution should be poured into a shallow 

 vessel — a soup plate will answer very well— and the Daguerreotype 

 should be immersed with its face upwaids. Lift the plate gently up and 

 down on each side, and in a few seconds the iodine will be removed. Then 

 lake the Daguerreotype carefully out, and immerse it in another vessel 

 containing distilled water, if warm the better, and again in another bath 

 of distilled water, to remove all traces of the soda. If these washings be 

 done carefully the picture will be uninjured, but it will require great care 

 in the subsequent process of drying to avoid impairing its efl'ect. The 

 plate must be held in a slanting direction for the water to drain ofif ; care 

 being taken to see that no particles of dust have settled on it, for if there 

 have it must be again immersed in water. The spirit-lamp should be 

 applied at the upper edge of the plate, and by blowing on it the drying 

 will be promoted. Should the water collect on parts of the plate as if it 

 were greasy, instead of spreading over the surface evenly, it must be blown 

 away if possible before it dries, otherwise a mark will be left on the plate 

 that may spoil the picture. Numerous annoying occurrences of this kind 

 will happen, and it may be observed that the more strongly the picture is 

 brought out, the more liable it is to be injured in the washing. It has 

 occurred to us that one of the moit beautiful pictures we have succeeded 

 in obtaining, which was very distinct in details, forcible, and a pleasing 

 likeness, was completely spoiled by stains in the subsequent process. The 

 soda solution and water should not be twice used, lest any iodine remaining 

 in the vessel should cause a stain. 



After washing, the picture is permanent, and in this stale all the first 

 Daguerreotypes were finished. The thin film of mercury, however, is yet 

 easily removed by a touch, nor has the picture attained the brilliancy and 

 tone which it receives from the subsequent process of fixing by gilding, 

 which was invented by M. Fizeau, to whom the Daguerreotype art is 

 much indebted. For gilding the plate, a diluted solution of chloride of gold 

 and of hyposulphite of soda is employed ; in the proportions of 15 grains 

 of the chloride to a pint of distilled water, and 45 grains of the hyposul- 

 phite in the same quantity of water. These should be dissolved in sepa- 

 rate vessels, and then the gold solution poured very gradually into the 

 other, stirring with a glass rod all the time. If this mixture of the two 

 solutions be not carefully made, or if the soda solution be poured into the 

 i»old, the resulting mixture will be black, owing to the deposition of sul- 

 phate of gold. The quantity indicated will serve to gild a great number 

 (if plates, and may be kept for use as wanted. The plate to be gilded 



must be placed horizontally, with its face upwards, on the lamp-stand. 

 The surface is to be then floated over with spirits of wine, which may be 

 poured on it and quickly drained oil', — the only use of the spirits being to 

 facilitate the flow of the gold solution. As much of the diluted chloride 

 of gold is poured on as the plate will retain on its horizontal surface, and 

 then the spirit-lamp is to be applied beneath to heat all parts equally. 

 Presently the liquid will emit vapour, the picture will improve in bril- 

 liancy, and soon afterwards small bubbles will appear, at which point the 

 process must be slopped. The gold is then poured olT, and the pla'e 

 washed with warm distilled water, and dried with the aid of the spirit- 

 lamp, in the same manner as after the first washing. 



The operation is now completed, and if every part of the process have 

 been conducted with care and judgment, the artist is in possession of a 

 picture which, in accuracy of outline and in the exquisite beauty with 

 which it is finished, far surpasses any work of mere art. He may gaze 

 long on its wondrous details with delight, which will be not a little 

 enhanced by the pleasing self-deception that it has been done by himself! 

 All his trouble seems recompensed — all his failures but increase the plea- 

 sure of this one complete success — and the difliculties he has had to 

 encounter in gaining the prize only add to its value. He sees henceforth 

 all difliculties removed, and in full confidence of his powers he even bopei 

 to attain still greater perfection. 



Let not the variety and required care of the manipulations discourage 

 any who have a taste for the art from commencing the work, since perse- 

 verance is almost sure to be crowned with success. For two whole days 

 were we in our first efforts without obtaining the trace of an image ; and 

 when at length a perfect picture burst into view in the msrcury-box, the 

 delightful feelings of the days of childhood seemed to be restored. By 

 attending to the directions wliich our experience and recollection of diffi- 

 culties surmounted suggest, the way will be in a great measure cleared, 

 and it will be a source of gratification to think we have removed any 

 obstacles that obstruct the attainment of success. 



THE HOUSE OF PEERS. 



Sir — My ideas and notions may be so very peculiar that there is no 

 danger whatever of their contaminating public taste ; which being the case, 

 you will, perhaps, allow me to express my own opinion of the House of 

 Peers. In a word, then, I take it to be if not exactly a failure, very far 

 below what was to be expected — at least desiderated. As to conception, it 

 is positively null : the character is that of a chapel, not of a senate-house ; 

 such is certainly the geueral idea, without any attempt at further or dif- 

 ferent idea. No original and poetic grasp of mind has been exhibited by 

 the architect, who has merely appropriated to the occasion what he found 

 ready made. The impressive solemnity which betits a hall in which are 

 held the councils of a widely extended empire, does not there express it- 

 self. On the contrary, if there be too much of the chapel in some respects, 

 there is too much of the ball or banqueting room in others. There is by 

 far too mucn of glare and garishness, and not a litile of /nfS';«i'ierie also. 

 Yes, I venture to say il, of mesquiuerie, which reproachful epithet may, I 

 think, be very justly applied to the throne. Instead of forming a principal 

 feature of the general composition, that seat — not perhaps exactly a» 

 "easy chair" — is no more than a piece of furniture which might be put 

 into any room, — a mere gilded chair, instead of being made to form an im- 

 portant, and leading feature in the ensemble. Judging from the one already 

 executed, the frescos will be altogeiher insignificant — mere spots in the 

 general decoration, and by no means brilliant ones; rather very flat and 

 insipid specimens of pictorial art, and will show all the more so in conse- 

 quence of the injurious contrast with the painted windows, which latter, 

 in turn, owing to the same contrast, must appear harsh and glaring in 

 colour. 



Such at least is my feeling; and I must be allowed to say that I 

 am greatly disappointed in the new House of Peers. No doubt it is 

 calculated well enough to strike and also satisfy those who merely 

 go into it, and just look about ihem ; and who therefore giving them- 

 selves up to the mere first impression, are captivated by the sump- 

 tuoiisness of the place- Yet the test of architectural excellence is not the 

 mere first impression alone, before the judgment has time to rally aud 

 collect itself, but the increased satisfaction produced on every fresh visit. 

 If I did not exactly expect, I desiderated and still desiderate more con- 

 vincing evidence of artistic power and artistic grasp of mind than I there 

 discover; for while on the one hand the *' house" is decidedly too eccle- 

 siastical in character, it is on the other more characierislic of a l)all-'-oom 

 or a banqueting room than o( a senate-house where the most momentous 

 interests are to be discussed. I may be wrong ; and if so, either you or some 

 one among your correspondents will take the trouble to set me right. In 

 the meanwhile 1 remain, 



Zero. 



[We hjive given insertion to tlie above communication, not because we Qcree with the 

 observations, but to give au opportuuity to uur readers lor lair criticism.] — £d. 



