[11]. “Ventilation of the Dark Room” and “Ammonia Poisoning” in the “Year Book of Photography and Photographic News Almanac” for 1885-87, and on “Pharyngitis and Photography” in the “Year Book of British Journal of Photography” for 1887.
When it is remembered that hyposulphite of soda is so “searching” that it has been known to penetrate through the ordinary so-called “porcelain” dishes and crystallize on the outside, one may judge how important it is to keep a separate dish for each operation.
Light cover.
A light wooden board with a handle is most convenient for putting over the developing dish, in the earlier stages of developing, especially when using ortho-chromatic plates, but the student must be careful to keep it on a shelf by itself.|Sable brush.| Another requisite is a broad brush of fine sable hair, say three inches broad, this had better be kept perfectly dry and clean in a box of its own.
Chemical solutions.
The chemical solutions should be kept in bottles with glass stoppers, each bottle should have an enamelled label,|Plate washer.| so that it can be readily seen in the dark room, and cannot be destroyed by acids. A zinc washing trough which holds two dozen plates must be procured. |Drainage rack.
Travelling lamp.| A simple wooden drainage rack is also necessary. We have tried several travelling lamps, and have so far found no satisfactory one. There are several in the market, and the photographer must choose his own. |Measures.| Two measuring-glasses at least must be procured, and it is a good plan to use Hicks' opaque glass measures, as they can be so easily read in the dark room. It is as well to have one minim glass to hold sixty minims, and a large measure to take the full quantity of developer required for one plate. |Scales.| A pair of ordinary scales with weights (apothecaries'), costing a few shillings, will complete the list of apparatus required.|Printing frames.| A few simple printing frames will be wanted, one of which should be a size larger than the plate used. |Slabs of glass.|A square slab of glass, the size of the plate, and another a few inches larger each way, will be found the best for trimming prints upon. A razor or very sharp knife will be found the best tool for this purpose.
Our student should get all these things of good quality, and set his face against the syrens who whisper in his ear that he ought to get this, and ought to have that; he does not want anything more than we have told him, a greater number of things will only embarrass him. We are perfectly well aware that the most elaborate fittings have been put up by “amateurs” and “professionals,” and we are equally aware that these have as yet not led to the production of a single picture.
CHAPTER IV.
THE STUDIO.
Studio.