xliv 



RECREATION. 



FIXING AND WASHING NEGA- 

 TIVES. 



Recent experiments have demonstrated 

 that a strong solution of common salt is 

 preferable to alum after .fixation, where 

 negatives show a tendency toward frilling. 

 There is no danger of precipitation of sul- 

 phur in the film, and the salt has the effect 

 of shortening the time required to elimi- 

 nate the hypo. Frilling will sometimes ap- 

 pear in one make of plate and not another, 

 or, it may be, in a different batch of the 

 same make. It is produced by a strong al- 

 kali, soda caustic or potash. Modify the 

 composition of the developer, or substitute 

 a milder alkali, ammonia or bicarbonate of 

 soda, and the frilling will disappear. 



The acid-alum fixing bath now being ^o 

 generally recommended, has a tendency to 

 ■degrade or destroy the negative. More- 

 over there does not seem to be any real rea- 

 son for its use. Why add any foreign mat- 

 ter to the fixing bath for the purpose of 

 keeping it clear or preserving its usefulness 

 for weeks. Hypo is the cheapest chemical 

 in our laboratory, and economy here is short 

 sighted policy. Make a fresh, clear solu- 

 tion for each batch of plates, and make it 

 strong enough. You will notice the harden- 

 ing action on the film, and the negative 

 will be bright and clear without the aid 

 of acid or alum. 



In the operation of fixing there has been 

 a large measure of backward movement, 

 and doubtless the evil results of it will be 

 manifest in due time. To follow an alkaline 

 developer with an acid fixing bath is wrong 

 in principle and dangerous in practice. 

 Stainless and otherwise perfect negatives 

 can be produced when an alkaline fixing 

 bath is used, and such negatives are free 

 from the doubts that must always follow 

 the use of an acid bath as to the 

 unchangeableness of the negatives. Alum 

 is now unnecessary except under un- 

 usual circumstances, employed after 

 fixing and washing if the film is 

 soft, and the image easily injured by 

 rubbing it with a pad of cotton wool. 

 After an alum bath, a previously tender film 

 surface may be well rubbed to free it from 

 impurities such as deposits from the water 

 used, adhering dust particles, etc., and the 

 advantage of this cleansing will be found, 

 not only in a better appearance, but in a 

 greater freedom from spots in the print, and 

 a greater ease in varnishing. Alum should 

 on no account be used before fixing, and 

 many plates do not need its application at 

 all. 



The washing of gelatine negatives seems 

 a simple matter, but there is still much mis- 

 conception concerning it. When gelatine 

 plates were first used they were insuffi- 

 ciently washed, because photographers did 

 not recognize the great difference between 

 a gelatine and a collodion film. After that 

 the time of washing was extended a little. 

 Now some advocate less washing. It is im- 

 possible to wash a gelatine film rapidly by 

 any manipulation of the surface, whether 



by jets of water impinging on it, by wiping 

 off the adhering water and putting it into 

 fresh, or by any other process. These oper- 

 ations affect the surface only, and hasten 

 to only a small extent the gradual pas- 

 sage out of the solution that has been ab- 

 sorbed by the gelatine. Soaking alone can 

 effect this, and at best it is a slow operation. 

 It is unsafe to leave a negative only partial- 

 ly washed, for in such a condition it can 

 not be guaranteed to last unchanged. A well 

 coated plate, such as good photographers 

 prefer, should have at least 2 hours of wash- 

 ing, but a thinly coated plate, like some of 

 the cheaper kinds on the market, may, per- 

 haps be equally well washed in one hour. 

 These times are the minimum. It is prefer- 

 able to double them. This washing only 

 needs to be done once for each negative, 

 namely, after fixing. 



When several plates are to be fixed at 

 the same time, a grooved tank is indis- 

 pensable, although they can be fixed if 

 placed face up in a tray, provided the hypo 

 is fresh and filtered. In the after washing, 

 however, if left long in one water, unless 

 it is kept in motion, the washing is immeas- 

 urably prolonged if the plate is laid face up- 

 ward. The hypo, being of heavier gravity 

 than the water, rests on the surface of the 

 film; whereas, if the plate is placed film 

 down with considerable water space below,, 

 or if placed upright in grooved tank with 

 clear space at the bottom, the hypo will dis- 

 solve out with great rapidity. Plates may 

 be washed face up in a tray by using a 

 strong solution of common salt and water. 

 This is of heavier gravity than the hypo,, 

 which rises to the surface, making way for 

 the salt and water. Prolonged washing or 

 soaking is almost as dangerous to the nega- 

 tive as too short. — J. P. St. Clair, in the 

 Camera and Dark Room. 



PASTE IT IN YOUR HAT. 



The fourth annual meeting of the L.. 

 A. S. will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., on 

 the second Wednesday of February, 1902.. 

 Eligible for membership therein : 



All general officers of the League. 



All chief wardens, vice wardens and 

 secretary-treasurers of divisions. 



All delegates chosen by the several divi- 

 sions, and the chairmen of all standing 

 committees. 



Members who may determine to attend 

 are requested to send notice to the Secre- 

 tary at once, in order that a hall of suitable 

 size may be engaged and proper arrange- 

 ments made for hotel and other accommo- 

 dations. We hope to have at least 30 

 States represented in this meeting. We 

 especially invite all local wardens to be 

 present. It will greatly benefit the cause 

 to have the members from various States 

 and from various portions o-f each State 

 meet, become acquainted, exchange views 

 and ideas, and thus fit themselves for bet- 

 ter and more effective work at home. 



