Direct positive according to Hippolyte Bayard

doji1969 · 2010-01-06T09:54:20+00:00

Hallo Forumsmitglieder, als Fan von historischen Prozessen wollte ich einmal die Frage aufwerfen, ob hier schon jemand Erfahrung mit dem Direktpositiv Proze...

doji1969

Hello forum members, As a fan of historical photographic processes, I wanted to ask whether anyone here has any experience with Hippolyte Bayard’s direct positive process. Quote from Wikipedia: ‘...Bayard devised a method whereby he coated ordinary writing paper with silver chloride and then allowed it to be blackened by sunlight; he then dipped the blackened paper into a solution of iodine and potassium iodide (Lugol’s solution), placed it in a camera and subjected it to another exposure. The paper bleached out, whereby the iodine was released from the potassium iodide solution and bound to the blackened silver, resulting in a positive image. The developed image was then fixed in a potassium bromide solution or in a sodium thiosulphate solution (fixing soda) and rinsed." The chemicals should actually be available (e.g. here: http://www.lehrmittel-shop.de/01_chemikalien-735_736/ ), but before I try it myself, I’d like to see if anyone here has already given it a go... Cheers, Philipp P.S. If anyone has any other ideas for homemade direct positives – please let me know!

doji1969

snip...

doji1969

The first attempts work, but the second ones don't... :rolleyes:

doji1969

Somehow I’ve ended up with a negative again...

I exposed some Adox Vario Classic PE paper to sunlight, coated it with Lugol’s solution, dried it, did contact copying from a positive, developed and fixed it. Unfortunately, however, instead of the expected positive, a negative has appeared. Interesting, but not what I wanted. But I’ve found the original description by Bayard; let’s see where the difference lies compared to the brief Wiki description... p.

stefan_k

Hello there. ? I’ve just come across your post online. Unfortunately, it’s seven years too late. Could you send me a detailed description of the process? I’d like to have a go at it myself. Did the project work out for you in the end?