The Art of Retouching Photographic Negatives: and Practical Directions how to finish and colour Photographic Enlargements, etc

Johnston, John

doi:10.1038/126600a0

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Based on the information reported in technical manuals from the time period [31,47,48], blue areas were expected to be tinted with indigo, but none of the techniques employed in this study detected indigotin in any of the bluish tones analyzed. In those locations, however, non-invasive analysis with handheld Raman spectroscopy identified a carbon-based black, characterized by two broad bands at ~ 1330 and ~ 1595 cm −1 (Fig.…”

Section: Improved Positives: the Retouching Palettementioning

confidence: 81%

“…However, in the present case, a choice was made in favor of non-invasive analysis to preserve the physical integrity of the photographic prints. Gold (Au) was also present in the majority of the photographs analyzed (11,18,23,31,39,48,56,93,94,97,108, and 118) ( Fig. 2), indicating the use of a gold chloride toner.…”

Section: Preliminary Photographs: Printed In the Arctic?mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In understanding these texts, however, the distinction between a colored positive print intended as a final object and an improved positive, a temporarily object that is retouched only to be rephotographed to create a better quality negative, must be made. With this distinction in mind, several texts provide suggestions for specific colors and appropriate suppliers, indicating that the Arctic Exploration album photographs may have been overpainted with white in the form of zinc oxide, ivory black, a blue like indigo or cobalt blue, red iron oxides, red lakes such as madder or carmine lakes, as well as sepia or neutral tint [31,[47][48][49]. James Newman's 1874 volume also recommends the use of "body colors" in retouching both positives and negatives.…”

Section: Improved Positives: the Retouching Palettementioning

confidence: 99%

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Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

et al. 2021

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, original photographs were sent to publishers so that they could be reproduced in print. The photographs often needed to be reworked with overpainting and masking, and such modifications were especially necessary for low-contrast photographs to be reproduced as a letterpress halftone. As altered objects, many of these marked-up photographs were simply discarded after use. An album at The New York Public Library, however, contains 157 such photographs, all relating to the Jackson–Harmsworth expedition to Franz Josef Land, from 1894 to 1897. Received as gifts from publishers, the photographs are heavily retouched with overpainting and masking, as well as drawn and collaged elements. The intense level of overpainting on many of the photographs, but not on others, raised questions about their production and alteration. Jackson’s accounts attested to his practice of developing and printing photographs on site, testing different materials and techniques—including platino-bromide and silver-gelatin papers—to overcome the harsh environmental conditions. In this context, sixteen photographs from the album were analyzed through a combination of non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). This analytical campaign aimed to evaluate the possible residual presence of silver halides in any of the preliminary and improved photographs. The detection of these compounds would be one of several factors supporting a hypothesis that some of the photographs in the album were indeed printed on site, in the Arctic, and, as a result, may have been impacted by the extreme environment. Additional goals of the study included the evaluation of the extent of retouching, providing a full characterization of the pigments and dyes used in overpainted prints, and comparing the results with contemporaneous photographic publications that indicate which coloring materials were available at the time. Further analyses shed light on the organic components present in the binders and photographic emulsions. This research has increased our knowledge of photographic processes undertaken in a hostile environment such as the Arctic, and shed light on the technical aspects of photographically illustrating books during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Section: Improved Positives: the Retouching Palettementioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Preliminary Photographs: Printed In the Arctic?mentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Improved Positives: the Retouching Palettementioning

confidence: 99%

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Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

et al. 2021

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“…For example, to correct emulsion insensitivity defects in glass plate negatives, streaked and dirty backgrounds, and to intensify certain parts of the image, in different old manuals, different materials and techniques are recommended [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Technical Study of Red Paints in the Retouching Layer of Some Wet-Collodion Glass Plate Negatives of Golestan Palace Photo Archive

Noohi

Hadian-Dehkordi

2021

6th International Meeting on Retouching of Cultural Heritage. RECH6

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This study presents a part of a research project on retouching wet Collodion and dry gelatine glass plate negatives from Golestan Palace photo archive in Tehran, Iran, dating from the mid-19th century. The collection belongs to Qajar era. This is a case study on the use of red paint in retouching wet collodion glass plate negatives and aims to help the understanding of retouching material and their application. Red paints in four retouched negatives, and also their binder, identified in this study by means of, micro Fourier transform infrared (µ-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and stereo microscopy technique. Elemental analysis performed with (SEM-EDS) revealed the presence of Lead (Pb), and Iron (Fe) elements in the paint. Thus, red Iron & red Lead pigments were identified as the red paints. The results confirmed by micro Fourier transform infrared (µ-FTIR), and a natural resin (probably gum Arabic) is identified as the binder of all paints as well. Red Lead, is realized as a paint to cover the boundaries, create more brightness, and as a binder to adhere masking papers, to the intended areas. Red Iron, is also found as a paint to correct emulsion defects and, make a perfectly clear and clean sky or background. Apparently, all these choices have been made consciously. It is believed that this study will contribute much to better understanding of retouching materials and the need to preserve them.

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The Art of Retouching Photographic Negatives: and Practical Directions how to finish and colour Photographic Enlargements, etc

Cited by 2 publications

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Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

A Technical Study of Red Paints in the Retouching Layer of Some Wet-Collodion Glass Plate Negatives of Golestan Palace Photo Archive

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