242 



RECREATION. 



produces good results. Since it costs no 

 more money, probably less, than the won- 

 derful concoction some of our beginners 

 use, it could do no harm to try his way. 



In the first place, obtain a tube of chlo- 

 ride of gold, 15 grains, costing about 50 

 cents. Dissolve this gold in jy 2 ounces of 

 distilled water and bottle. In the solu- 

 tion we have one grain of gold to each 

 J / 2 ounce of water. 



After printing 2 dozen 4x5 prints trim 

 them as desired, throw them into a 

 large tray or basin of water, and change 

 the water frequently during the 20 minutes 

 t'hey are washing. Be also careful to turn 

 them now and then so the water will 

 wash all equally. This washing is neces- 

 sary and must be as carefully done as 

 the rest of the work. 



Just before toning pour l / 2 ounce of 

 gold solution in an 8 ounce graduated 

 glass and add 5 grains of carbonate of 

 soda, pure. When dissolved fill the glass 

 with water and your toning bath is ready. 

 If desired, bicarbonate of soda, tungs- 

 tate of soda or borax may be substituted 

 for carbonate and a trifling difference in 

 tone will result. The tone, however, is 

 mainly dependent on the negative itself; 

 different depths of printing producing dif- 

 ferent tones, and different depths of den- 

 sity in the negative reducing more or 

 less silver. 



Transfer the prints from the wash 

 water into a good sized, deep tray, that 

 has been made scrupulously clean, con- 

 taining the toning bath. An old devel- 

 oper tray will not do. Have a tray for 

 toning alone and keep it clean. As soon 

 as all the prints are in the bath begin to 

 turn them from bottom to top, keeping 

 them face down at all times save when it 

 is desired to examine the tone. Never 

 stop turning the prints until all are done. 

 As fast as one tones throw it into a tray 

 of clear water and proceed till all are 

 toned. Then, after rinsing, place the 

 prints in a solution of hypo-soda, one 

 ounce to 8 of water, and turn them in that 

 bath too for 10 or 12 minutes. Then they 

 should be washed one hour in running 

 water, and unless the motion of the water 

 turns them about they should be turned 

 now and then. Turning is exceedingly 

 important. It makes the prints tone even- 

 ly, fix and wash evenly, and is a prime fac- 

 tor in their future permanency. If the 

 weather be warm the toning bath may be 

 slightly iced and one of 2 drops of for- 

 maldehyde added to prevent melting. 



After a thorough washing the prints 

 are either placed in a pile on a sheet of 

 glass and pressed to remove the water or 

 else squeezed on ferrotype plates and left 

 to dry t The professional lays them in a 

 heap on glass, face down, and applies 



paste to the back of the top one, picks it 

 up carefully and rolls it on to its mount, 

 burnishing it when dry; but most amateurs 

 prefer to squeegee them, as they rarely 

 own a burnisher. If desired a coat of shel- 

 lac may be applied to the backs when 

 squeezed and dry, and the prints can then 

 be mounted on anything from tissue pa- 

 per to a board by simply ironing them 

 with a hot iron, holding the print in place 

 the while with one finger and thumb. 

 The shellac must be of the consistency of 

 thin syrup and be the best white shellac 

 in alcohol. 



I have had in mind gelatine emulsion 

 paper such as Solio, Albuma and the like 

 in giving these directions. Collodion pa- 

 pers, such as American Aristo Co.'s prod- 

 ucts, require some few extra notes, but 

 anyone who buys a package of the Aris- 

 to Company's goods will not be at a 

 loss for the most accurate directions for 

 use. The company is almost as particular 

 in that respect as in the manufacture of 

 their unrivaled papers. 



If one wants absolute black tones there 

 are 2 ways to secure them on the P. O. P.* 

 One is to tone in the gold-borax bath till. 

 the. slightest bit of toning is: observable in 

 the skies or highlight, then use a plati- 

 num bath to finish with. The Aristo Co.'s 

 platinum single toner or plain platinum 

 should be used, as it is pure, guaranteed 

 quantity and made right. The other 

 method is to print a faint image and 

 finish with one of the stainless developers 

 such as amidol, metol or hydro-metol. 

 After this the prints are, of course, fixed 

 as usual. 



REGARDING FOCAL LENGTH. 



In March Recreation I saw stated by 

 Gene S. Porter that the focal length of 

 a lens should be i 1 /?. times the length of 

 the plate. This I have also read in other 

 magazines. Kindly tell me where such a 

 camera can be had or what firm makes it. 

 I have particular reference to zVa^aVa 

 cameras, personally preferring that size. 

 I have written several standard camera 

 companies about this point and their 

 unanimous reply is that they know of no. 

 company making such cameras, and that 

 the focal lengths of lenses used in their 

 respective cameras are what they consider 

 correct. 



I also asked whether a zVa^aVa lens of 

 6}i inch focus (standard length for this 

 size is 5 to 5^ inches) on a ^Va^-AVa 

 plate takes in the same angle of view, i. e., 

 same extent of subject, as a 4x5 lens of 

 6% inch focus on a 4x5 plate. They all 

 seemed to miss the point; one firm mak- 

 ing the following answer, to which I 

 think all will agree: "A zVa^aVa plate with 



