Gold Toning of Daguerreotypes

[jon w.]

I don't imagine that anyone out there makes daguerreotypes (though I

would be happy to be proved wrong). However, someone might know where

I can find a detailed description of the procedure used to goldtone

them - I need more information than the one-line description in Tim

Rudman's book on toning, for example. Goldtoning was standard

procedure for daguerreotypes - to increase intensity and longevity -

but the procedure was probably slightly different from that used for

albumen prints and POP or salt prints. Any help appreciated.

[andy e]

You might want to see what info you can find on the Photographers Formulary website. They have all kinds of stuff on a whole range of photo processes. http://www.photoformulary.com Not sure if this is helpful, but it might be a start.

 

By the way, how are you? I was about to start sending out search parties to find out if you were alive or dead.

[don_mckeith]

A one line description might be all thats left of the process-

 

but this site has a hand drawn picture(worth a thousand words?)

of the process being done-

 

 

http://www.daguerre.org/resource/process/remin.html

[scott_strohmeier]

Hi, juast thought I would try to help, try the Geo cities website for a bunch of links, and the getty has an actual video of the process of developing dags, including a quick peek at gold toning. Hope it helps...

 

 

www.geocities.com/~daguerreotype/

 

www.getty.edu/art/collections/presentation/p41_112959-1.html

[jon w.]

Thanks for suggested links. Very helpful. Andy, I've been busy photographing in Venice: 45 rolls, about 60 sheets and 50 Polaroids (no Daguerreotypes - maybe next time). I'm flying back to Australia in a week ...

[robin_dreyer]

I've done this. It's a solution of gold chloride and sodium thiosulfate. You put the exposed

and developed plate face up on a metal stand, pour the solution on top of it and then heat

it with a plumbing torch for about two minutes. As you can see, it's not like any other kind

of toning. If you want the exact details, email me at publications@penland.org. It's a pretty

tricky process and hard to do without someone showing you. It's one of the many ways

you can wreck a daguerreotype. You might also like looking at the information on

www.newdags.com.

 

Robin Dreyer