Figure 1.--This portrait is an example of a hand-tinted salted paper print (salt print). Salt prints wee mostly made during the middle decades of the 19th century (1840s-50s). This portrait, however, looks to be taken later in the century. The youth is unidentified, but appears to be an older teenager. On the back is stamped: "From: The Elmira Portrait Co., Elmira, NY".

A salt print photograph was printed using sodium chloride (salt) that is subsequently coated with silver nitrate. They are also referred to as a salted paper print. They appear to have been most popular in the period before the development of the albumen process. Salt prints were a negative-based process at a time when most photographs were daguerreotypes or ambrotypes--processes in which only one image could be produced (1840s-50s). It was the first type of photograph printed on paper. Salt prints were produced with both paper and glass negatives. The best, sharpest images of course were produced with glass negatives. The prints produced from paper negatives were characterically grainy and somewhat mottled. Salt prints had white highlights. Thin paper stock was used for the prints. They were then mounted on thicker paper. The salt prints differed fro albumen prints in that the image was not suspended in an emulsion layer on top of the paper, but created within the paper itself. As a result the image is not as crisp as albumen images. While albumen prints became the major photographic process in the late-19h century, we still see some salt prints after the 1860s. As with other formats, we see tinted colorized images.

Invention

Salt prints were the earliest type of positive photographic prints. English photographic pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot announced the process (1840). This was a year adter the Daguerreotype appeared. This impelled Fox Talbot to announce his process. This was aefinement of what he called his photogenic drawing process.

Process

A salt print photograph was printed using sodium chloride (salt) that is subsequently coated with silver nitrate. They are also referred to as a salted paper print. The photographer made aalt pribnt by soaking a sheet of paper in a salt solution and then coating one side of the paper with silver nitrate. This had to be dome in the dark. The result was a light sensitive silver chloride embeded in the paper. After the paper dried, the paper was laid on a negative under a sheet of glass. It was then exposed to sunlight. Bright sunlight was needede and the exposure time was very long--up to 2 hours. As a result, it is sometimes called a 'sun picture'.

Chronology

They appear to have been most popular in the early period of photography, the 1840s-50s the period before the development of the albumen process. Salt prints were made in numbers in the 1840s. We also see them in the 1850s, at least in Englsnd. We see fewer American examples. We note some albumen prints in England during tge 1850s, this probably affected the popularity of the salt print. Salt prints were rapidly replaced by CDVs which used the albumen process. The CDV appeared in the very-late 1850s and quickly became enormouslybpopular in the early-60s. The CDV produced a much clearer image than the salt pprint process, although there were improvements made later. While albumen prints became the major photographic process in the late-19h century, we still see some salt prints after the 1860s. This is difficult to assess with any precession because so many prints were not dated.

Prevalence

As far as we can tell, salt prints were not very common. We have very little actual information on how cimmon salt prints were in the 19th century. They do not seem, however, very common in the photographic record. We have been able to find relatively few examples of salt prints. This presumably is a rough reflection as just how popular salt prints were at the time.

Countries

We do not yet have much country information, in part because we have found so few examples. . The salt print process was developed in England, so presumably many were made there. Most of the examples we have found are American. We are not sure if this was becaue the American photographic industry was so much larger than than in any European country or because we just have been able to find more American examples because of our American location. We have few dated American examples, but modt seem to come from the 1850s. We have found an especally fine Belgian example from the 1850s.

Prints

Salt prints were a negative-based process at a time when most photographs were Daguerreotypes or Ambrotypes--processes in which only one image could be produced (1840s-50s). It was the first type of photograph printed on paper. Salt prints were produced with both paper and glass negatives. The best, sharpest images of course were produced with glass negatives. The prints produced from paper negatives were characterically grainy and somewhat mottled. Salt prints commonly had white highlights. Thin paper stock was used for the prints. They were then mounted on thicker paper. The salt prints differed fro albumen prints in that the image was not suspended in an emulsion layer on top of the paper, but created within the paper itself. As a result the image is not as crisp as albumen images. The period images we have found look undocussed compared to CDvs, often looking more like a charcoal drawing than a photograph. A completed salt print has a matt tone and a reddish brown color. This varied because if toned, the print could be purplish brown. If faded it could be yellowish brown. Because the light senative chemicals are imbeded in the paper, there is no surface gloss.

Colorized Prints

As with other formats, we see tinted colorized images. Here our information is limited because we have so few examples to analyze. As best we can tell, the colorization process for a salt print was often different than an albumen (CDV and cabinet) print. Because these prints were sharply focused, the studio usually just applied color. Because a salt print was not well focused, often colorizers did more than add color. They drew on the image to bring out details. They were no creating detail, but trying to bring out details that the salt print process did not capture. This was not facial details, but clothing details. The colorization artists might outline itemns like cravats or floppy bows. Other items like shoes might also be outlines. Featutes on clothing like lace, ruffles, and buttons were also outlined. The colorists also might better define patterns like stripes.

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Created: 8:31 PM 5/4/2008
Last updated: 8:52 PM 8/24/2016