Albumen Plates - Experiences anyone?

[htmlguru4242]

I finally have the time and funds to embark on some handmade photo materials, and the idea of Albumen plates seems pretty interesting.

Mark Osterman has a PDF online that seems to have some good instructions, and a search of Google Books pulls up some info from the ancient texts.

I guess what I'm asking for is a few things.
1.) Has anyone tried this before? If so, what was your experience?
2.) The silver bath - most recommendations seem to be around 9-10% silver nitrate in water, with some acetic acid. Is this infinitely usable and replenish able like Wet Plate baths?

Feedback / comments of any kind would be super!

 

[Peter Schrager]

get the Christopher James book and follow the zoe zimmerman matte method....worked like a charm for me....the paper is also important...arches 88 works great for this....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

 

[htmlguru4242]

To clarify; not albumen PRINTS, albumen negatives, coated on glass.

 

[Steve Smith]

Like this? http://albumen.conservation-us.org/library/c19/petschler.html


Steve.

 

[htmlguru4242]

Nope, like this:
Dead Link Removed

Warning: PDF link

 

[MDR]

The silver bath must be replenished if you dip the plate in the silver bath, if you coat with a brush (not recommended for this process) no replenishment necessary. After reading the instructions by Mark Osterman I advise you to bring a good book to your photoshoot. An alternative to the pure albumen process could be the albumen-collodion process faster and dryplate.

Good luck
Dominik

 

[htmlguru4242]

When you say replenished, you mean that silver nitrate, water and acetic acid must be added to the bath as I go, yes?

Does it have a shelf-life?

 

[MDR]

A replenischment is probably necessary after 6 or so plates, maybe you can find a replenisher formula for the process.
I found this detailed description of this process on the Albumen site
http://albumen.conservation-us.org/library/c19/albnegp.html
If you can speak french here's the link to a book written by the inventor of the process Abel Niepce de St. Victor with a description of the process. Incidently he also experimented with gelatine.http://books.google.at/books?id=af-zAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Abel+niepce+de+st.+victor+procede+photographique+sur+verre&source=bl&ots=384peJEsU-&sig=_lrKM3DXrg6Kw3xoSoYt1J8IkRg&hl=de&sa=X&ei=C1tLULnPCo7GtAb56IHYDg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[htmlguru4242]

Well ... seeing as how nobody seems to have tried this, I'm just going to have to give it a go and report back!