Glossary

A
Albumen Process - from the whites of eggs. It was used to create clear crisp images. In 1848, an egg mixture was used on a glass plate negative, however this process took a very long time. In 1850, it was used on paper, and created a very high glossy photograph which could be diluted. This method was popular from the mid 1850s into the 19th century.

Frederick Scott Archer - One of the pioneers of photography. He was born in 1813 in England, as a young man he apprenticed as a silversmith and later became a sculptor. In 1851 he invented the collodion process, which greatly enhanced the way photographs were made and later helped develop the ambrotype. Archer however did not patent the collodion process and he died in poverty in 1857.

Artotype - Invented by J. B. Obernetter of Germany this process is a form of the collotype process, a photo-mechanical printing process and similar to that of the Albertype. It was patented in America in 1878 and in Canada in 1879. It looks like a full-toned albumen photograph, however it was printed on a lithographic press using ink. This process was the precursor to half-tone engraving using dots. Thousands of images could be printed economically and would be used in magazines and catalogues. Lindop and Cooper, from St. Thomas were the driving force in bringing this process over from Germany.

Artotype Company of New York - When the process was brought to American its rights were bought by T. S. Lambert, W. A. Cooper, and A. Mueller who formed the Artotype Company of New York. Edward Bierstadt was the principal operator of the firm, and these mechanical photographs will be found signed "Artotype by Bierstadt".

B
Bellows - The folding portion in some cameras that connects the lens to the camera body. It is normally in the shape of an accordion and is light tight, creating a black box. In some cases it can be curved and turned to created a different perspective. The bellows can be extended to different lengths to change the focal point.

C
Camera Body - The casing of the camera that holds all of the camera parts.

Cellulose Nitrate - It was an important step in the development of photographic film and was used for a number of years as the for negatives. It is now known, however that nitrate-based film will deteriorate over time, releasing oxidants and acidic gas. Also it has been found to be highly flammable and therefore special storage is required.

Collodion Process - It is made up of guncotton dissolved in ether and alcohol. This produces a very thick liquid, that is then spread on glass plates to provide a binding for the light sensitive chemicals. It was more light sensitive then previous solutions, and it reduced exposure time. However there was a major disadvantage; it was very time consuming to prepare, and the development of the plate had to take place when the solution was wet. Hence the common name wet plate collodion process. Other uses included using the solution as a wound dressing, to 'glue' or bind the skin together.

D
Louis Daguerre - One of the pioneers of photography. He was born in 1787 in France. He had many talents including; theater design, panoramic painting, and creating famous dioramas. He partnered with Nicéphore Niépce in 1829 to experiment in the printing process, however when Niépce died in 1833, Daguerre continued to experiment, and in 1839, developed the Daguerreotype. He however was not the only one experimenting in photography, in England, Talbot was developing his own process (see Talbot).

E
George Eastman - He was born in 1854 in New York, and was the founder of the the Kodak Company, which revolutionized the industry and brought photography to the general public. In the late 1870s, after working with the gelatin process, he patented a dry plate process. In 1880, he opened his business, the George Eastman Co. where he continued to develop the negative process and by the mid 1880s he produced the first rolled film with a paper base. This film would increase the number of images produced. This of course was not the end, he also patented a camera "The Kodak Camera", for this film, and marketed it to the general public. Eastman was a philanthropist and he possessed a unique business style for the time. He managed his company in such a way as to reward his employees through bonuses, and profit sharing.

F
Film Holder - Part of the camera. It holds the film, sheet film (glass plate) or roll. In the case of glass plates it was more commonly termed plate holder and made out of wood. The photographer or helper would have numerous plates in holders on hand and ready to be placed in the camera, so not to waste time. The plate would be inserted into the holder with a dark slide over top (as to limit light exposure) the device was inserted into the camera and when the dark slide was taken out, the plate would be ready for exposure.

G
Gelatin Print - This process was introduced in 1871, and uses animal protein as a binder for the light sensitive chemicals on the negative as well as the print.

H
Sir John Hershel - He was born in 1792 in England, and became a noted astronomer (as was his father William Hershel), as well as chemist, mathematician, inventor and experimenter of photography. He invented the precursor to the blueprint, the cyanotype, and most important, he coined the term photography. As well as applied the terms negative and positive as it relates to images.

K
Kodak - Coined in 1888 by George Eastman. He created a unique name that was distinctive enough that it would not be confused with any other product. Later Eastman changed the company name to include Kodak.

L
Lens - Part of the camera, it draws the light in and focuses it on the film.

N
Negative Image It is the opposite of a positive image, in which light areas appear dark and dark areas appear light.

Nicéphore Niépce - Is said to be the inventor of photography. He was born in 1765 in France and in 1826 created the first permanent photograph. It took over 8 hours and was created by a camera obscura on pewter with the image being upside down. Also around this time he invented heliography (using the sun to produce images), and after this he partnered with Louis Daguerre and continued to create new photographic processes. Other inventions include the velocipede (similar to a bicycle), pyreolophore (internal combustion engine), and the Marly machine (a hydraulic machine).

P
Positive Image - Is the photographic or normal image.

S
Shutter - Part of the camera. It opens and closes to control the length of time light strikes the film.

T
William Henry Fox Talbot - Is a pioneer of the negative/positive process. He was born in 1800, in England and in the 1830s experimented in photography. He developed the calotype or talbotype process and made it public in 1841. This process involved a paper negative and a salted paper print. Fox Talbot produced a new process in a time when many people including Daguerre were involved in photography, and rivalries existed. Fox Talbot eventually went on to open a photographic shop in Reading, England in the 1840s to produce salted paper prints from the calotype process. In 1844, he produced the first book of photographic prints, entitled "Pencil of Nature".