PHOTOGRAPHS
Fenton, Roger
England (1819 - 1869)
General Bosquet
1855
Salted paper print from wet collodion negative
7 3/4 x 6 1/8 in. (19.7 x 15.6 cm) image and sheet size
Monsen Study Collection of Photography, gift of Joseph and Elaine Monsen
FA 92.8
Keywords: Portrait (male -- General Pierre François Joseph Bosquet); Human figure (male); Architecture (tent); Crimean War

Wet Collodion Negative -- Unlike the earliest paper negatives, the glass plate collodion negative was both durable enough for making multiple prints and fine enough to render distinct details. The process utilizes a highly flammable and viscous liquid made from guncotton dissolved in ether and alcohol as the binder that holds the photosensitive chemicals to the glass substrate.

The emulsion’s sensitivity is greatest while the collodion is still wet, so photographers working outdoors had to prepare their negatives on site in portable darkrooms and work quickly once they had sensitized the glass plate negative. This is why it is called a wet collodion negative. In addition, the negative had to be processed promptly, allowing the photographer to know quickly if a negative was suitable for contact printing. If it was not, the collodion could be wiped off the glass and the process begun again. If successful, the photographer then had the challenge of transporting a fragile glass negative back home.

Salted Paper Print -- Developed in 1840 by William Henry Fox Talbot, salted paper printing was one of the first photographic processes. The paper is prepared by coating it with a salt solution; it is then made sensitive to light by coating one side with silver nitrate. Once dried, the paper can be contact printed using sunlight. Salted paper prints are light fugitive - they are prone to fading when exposed to light over time. When such prints are displayed at the Henry, they are often covered by a black drape to protect the print from overexposure. -- Label copy for Outta My Light! Picturing the Process of Photography, December 5, 2008 to May 3, 2009.