Glass Plate Negatives (Visual Studies)

History of Glass Plate Negatives

There are 2 types of glass plate negatives Collodion Wet Plate and Gelatine Dry Plate, Collodion negatives were used from 1851 to the 1880s, and these types of glass plates produce a negative that is sharper, stable and more detailed negative. These are usually identifiable because they are somewhat rough, with uneven emulsion, thick glass, and are rough around the edge.

Dry plate negatives, came about in 1873 and were a more successful and more permanent photographic type, the could be transported more easily, could be used dry, and didn’t need exposing to as much light, they also used thinner glass, and more evenly coated emulsion.  

(Summerset Photography 2009)

http://www.somersetphotography.com/glass_negatives.htm
(Assessed 13th October 2013)

http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/gelatin-silver/silver-gelatin-dry-plate-process

The first link above is the research that I used for the history, the second link is to a page on the internet about how to create the second type of glass plate, and all of the items look to be things that are still available, so it is something that if I wanted I could consider doing during one of my projects, or just as a personal endeavour for something fun to do and experiment with.