Figure 1.--The salt print process was not a commercial success. We have found few American salt portraits, but we gave found a few. This one comes from Tennessee, we think in the late-1850s or early-60s.

The salt print was developed at about the same time as the Daguerreotype, but was not a commercial success. It was the most important paper-based photographic process for producing actual photographic prints (positives) from negatives (1839-60). It was suplanted by thw albumen process (1860s) begining with the CDV. The salted paper technique was invented English scientist and inventor Henry Fox Talbot (mid-1830s). He developed what he referred to as 'sensitive paper' which could produce 'photogenic drawing'. The process involved dabbing a sheet of writing paper with a weak solution of table salt (sodium chloride). He then blotted and dryed it. The next step was in a dark room, brushing one side of the paper with a strong solution of silver nitrate. This left a surface coating of light-sensitive silver chloride. Talbot's 'sensitive paper' paper darkened where it was exposed to light. After a sufficient exposure, the sheet was stabilized by applying a solution of table salt--this time a stron sollution, changing the chemical balance and making the paper only slightly sensitive to further exposure. Talbot than found that a solution of sodium thiosulfate ('hypo') woild make the exposed print light-fast. Multiple pruints could be made from a negative. The problem was speed. Longv exposure times were needed. It was suitable for buildigs and geogroicl features thst didn't move. but not for people. But thec real money (meaning adootion by photiograohers) was in studio photography creating portraits. Talbot improved the proces, but the albumen process was faster and produced a higher quality image.

Created: 5:29 AM 11/24/2022
Last updated: 5:29 AM 11/24/2022