The “Daguerreotype” process consists in forming the image on the surface of a metallic plate (copper coated with silver), which is first polished to a perfect surface like a looking-glass, then exposed to the vapour of iodine in a properly-constructed box, afterwards to the vapour of chloride of bromine, and again to the vapour of iodine; this produces a thin film of a mixture of bromide and iodide of silver, which covers the surface of the plate, and is very sensitive to light, which reduces the iodide and bromide to the metallic state in a few seconds. The plate is then exposed to the action of the light in the camera, and when sufficiently affected, exposed to the vapour of mercury, the mercury being put into a box, and heated by a spirit lamp; the mercurial vapour adheres to all the parts of the silver reduced by the light, and forms a light-coloured amalgam, corresponding to the lights of the objects represented. The plate is then washed with a solution of hyposulphite of soda, which removes all the bromide and iodide of silver not reduced by the light, and exposes the highly-polished surface of the silver, which forms the shadows of the picture; this is now “fixed” with a very weak solution of chloride of gold and hyposulphite of soda, which is poured over the surface and heated while there by applying the flame of the spirit lamp to the back of the plate for a minute or two; the solution is then poured off, and the picture when washed with water is complete.
Illustration: FIG. 6. (‡ STEREOSCOPIC SLIDE BOX.)
Many photographic pictures, whether Talbotype or Daguerreotype, are taken double for the “stereoscope” (fig. 5). This is an instrument having two lenses (one for each eye), through which the two views may be seen. The principle is this:--Every object is seen by each eye in a slightly different view; for instance, if you look at the edge of a print--placing the printed part towards your right hand, and bringing the edge in front of the lace between the two eyes--by closing the right eye, the left will see the back of the print only, but by closing the left eye the front of the print may be seen, and the front only. The stereoscope presents both of these views to the eyes at once, as when we look with both eyes, and the objects have therefore the appearance of projecting, as do read objects. To take these views, the slide after one view is taken is moved about four inches on one side, and then the other is taken; the distance moved corresponds to the distance between the eyes, and therefore produces the correct view for each. The box for the stereoscopic slide is shown at fig. 6, in which A is the first view to be taken, while the other half of the glass is kept dark, at B, and C is the shutter for A.