THE DARK ROOM.
We now enter upon a practical description of the mani pulations which take place in the production of negatives and finished prints, and of the apparatus which is used to assist such manipulations.
Our intention is to go through every manipulation, attempting to make it as clear to the mind of the be ginner as possible, describing in brief and general terms as we go on the apparatus used. Afterwards we shall describe more particularly and at some length the various modifications of this apparatus, so that the would-be photographer, having got an idea of what he will have to do to secure photographic pictures, may then judge on what scale he will work and of what nature his camera and suchlike are to be.
We must describe first of all what can scarcely be called a piece of apparatus, but what is nevertheless the first requirement in the manipulation of photo graphic plates of any kind. This is the Dark Room. Without entering into a disquisition on light or on the sensitive photographic film we may say this much. The plates with which the photographer is about to work, and which consist of pieces of glass with a film spread on them of a white creamy material called gelatine emulsion, are affected by the most inconceivably small amount of light which may reach them. This is true of white light, or of light of any colour except red. Red light has little or no effect on photographic films. Taking this into consideration, it will readily be seen that the only means of manipulating the plates without getting them affected—and consequently spoiled—is to work in a room which is illuminated with red light only. To such an apartment has been given the name of the " dark room." It is needless to say that the title is an incorrect one, and that "red room," or something of that kind, would have been better. The expres sion "dark room" is so well known and universally used by photographers that we retain it throughout this book.
In the old wet-collodion days, or even now, where wet plates are used for enlarging and suchlike pur poses, the dark room is of necessity a somewhat elabo rately fitted apartment, because there the plates have to be prepared as they are required. Moreover, in the case of wet - plate work, the all - pervading "silver bath" makes it almost impossible to use a com mon apartment temporarily for the purposes of a dark room. The dark room has to be permanent and estab
lished. With dry plates the thing is different. The only necessities are a room which can be darkened, a plain deal table to work upon, and a lamp giving a red light to work by. The writer has often performed all his manipulations in the bedroom of the hotel at which he might be stopping after it was dark in the evening, using the wash-hand stand to work on, and for a lamp to work by having nothing but a night light covered with a cone of red paper. Such make-shift arrange ments are, however, rather for the advanced photographer in an emergency than for the beginner, who may meet with difficulty enough without making them for him self. He should, if possible, have some room, no matter how small, which he can devote to the purpose of dark room solely. If a room with a sink and water laid on can be got he will have as perfect a dark room as could be desired. A deal table is, as we have said, necessary to work upon, and there should be one or two shelves on which to place bottles, etc.
Supposing the beginner have the means of either build ing or fitting up a room, the following is the way in which it should be clone : Somewhat to the right of the centre of one of the longer walls and against it there is fitted the sink. This should be of stoneware so that it may readily be cleaned. It may be about three feet long by one foot six inches wide. It should be supplied by a tap about eighteen inches above it, and projecting several inches from the wall.
Immediately to the left of the sink is the operating table. It should be somewhat high. Three feet six inches is not too much. The height prevents the neces sity of excessive stooping whilst watching the progress of the various operations. The table may be three feet long or more, if there is space to spare, and two feet wide. It is best covered with sheet-lead of the thick ness known as 5 lb. It may slope slightly towards the sink, so that any spillings may find their way into this latter, and in this case it should have a narrow ridge along the front edge, standing, say a quarter of an inch above the level of the rest, so as to direct such spillings. There should be a shelf about a foot below the table on which to lay dishes.