CHAPTER XIX 



DARKROOMS AND DARKROOM PRACTICE 



By Keith Hennet 



General Characteristics of Darkrooms. — The darkroom is the photographer's 

 laboratory and as such deserves special consideration with regard to (1) size, (2) 

 layout and location of apparatus, (3) location, (4) lighting, (5) ventilation, (6) treat- 

 ment of walls and ceiling, (7) temperature, humidity, and dust, and (8) water supply 

 and drain. 



Size. — The dimensions of the darkroom will depend on the space that is available, 

 on the nature of the work to be done, or on the financial or mechanical ability of the 

 photographer to make his laboratory exactly what he wants it to be. 



r.S.- INDIRECT SAFELIGHT 



Fig. 1. — Layout of darkroom for photofinishing plant. 



Although it is probable that no darkroom was ever too large, a rambling place with 

 apparatus at opposite ends of the room is more tiring and time consuming to work in 

 than a small but well-arranged room. Many amateurs accomplish remarkable work 

 in small closets, in the bathroom or kitchenette of a small apartment, or in a corner of 

 the basement. These workshops must be considered as distinct handicaps to the 

 serious worker, although, perforce nothing much can be done about it. Photography 

 with the miniature camera, of course, requires much less space than work with large 

 plates or films. 



A large commercial studio may have several darkrooms, or several divisions of a 

 main laboratory. A small darkroom (loading room) is frequently placed next to the 

 exposing studio or gallery so that plateholders may be handed to the cameraman 

 through some sort of lighttight cabinet. This loading room need not be large, but 

 it should not be a part of the place where negatives are developed or printed, if this 



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