The
History of the Albumen Print
Before launching
into a diegesis about albumen prints, it is important to acknowledge that the
use of egg as a binder is firmly ensconced in painting history. Egg tempera
primarily utilizes the yolk of the egg, although at times the albumen was
added. Greco-Roman artists as early as the late 1st century BCE used tempera pigment,
primarily for funerary portraits. The history continues with egg
tempera’s use in illuminated manuscripts, where paints made exclusively with
egg white (“glair”) were also used. (Koo Schadler, The History of Egg Tempera) The egg white
provided an added gloss to the surface of the painting. And, finally, the great
Dutch painters of the Renaissance were masters in the use of egg tempera, Vermeer most famous among them. As evidenced by his painting (above), the
beautiful depiction of light and color was due in part to the properties of
tempera: luminosity, depth in the lighter hues, and permanence. As such, tempera
provided many of the same qualities as did albumen in photo printing. Contemporary painters continue
to work with egg tempera paints to this day.
In considering
the invention of albumen prints, it seems undeniable that the use of such a
basic organic substance as egg must have some historic relationship to its use
in painting. Furthermore, the complex relationship that existed between painting and
photography further enforces the idea that early photographers would have
looked to painting techniques for inspiration in how to fix an image.
Invention & Improvements
The first
albumen prints were published in January 1847 by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard.
The advent of albumen printing introduced the first commercially viable way to
produce a photographic print on paper. Albumen mixed with 25 percent saturated salts was whipped into a froth, and left to settle into a smooth
consistency. The paper was then gently laid on the surface of the complex,
which sealed the paper, preparing it for the application of silver nitrate. While
other inventors had been working with albumen, Blanquart-Evrard goes down in
history for having added the chloride which made the albumenate adhere to the
paper sheet. (p. 27, Reilly)
Predictably, it was women who separated out and processed the vast amounts of albumen needed to meet what became a world-wide demand. To coat a ream of paper required 9 liters of albumen solution, obtained from 27 dozen eggs. (p. 33, Reilly) And the title of Beaumont Newhall’s influential article,“60,000 Eggs a Day,” accurately cites the quantity used by the “Dresden Albumenizing Company, the largest in the world…. Girls did nothing all day long but break eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. The whites were then churned and the yolks sold to leather dressers for finishing kid and fine leathers.”
Albumen printing
was propitiously invented around the same time as Frederick Scott Archer
invented the wet collodion negative. Albumen prints had greater detail than salted
paper, and the enhanced detail of the wet collodion process mandated a paper
that could match that detail. (Reilly, Albumen
and Salted Paper Book) Interestingly, collodion was later used as a varnish
to preserve albumen prints—and that invention was made possible by the fact
that collodion was commonly found in
photographers’ darkrooms of that time.
Between 1850 and
1860, albumen gradually replaced salt paper prints. After that, Albumen prints
dominated the market between 1860-1885. Thus, in terms of identification, any
paper print from those decades can, with considerable accuracy, be presumed to
be albumen.
Albumen prints underwent a process of further invention,
refinement, and commercialization during its reign as the dominant photographic
format. One of albumen paper's attractions was its smooth surface. This in
comparison to the relatively rough surface of salted paper. The results were
very different. As stated above, albumen provided higher resolution, which was
welcomed. However, the look of salt paper was, at the time, considered to be more artistic.
Evrard himself, the inventor of albumen paper, stated: "Prints
on albumen paper… have a greater warmth of tone, more transparence and
precision of detail; but on the other hand, salted paper gives prints which
have the aspect of drawings or aquatint engravings, a mysterious vagueness
which is pleasing in works of art, because they appeal to the soul as well as
to the senses, to the spirit as well as to the eyes.” Such comparison reflects
the anxiety surrounding photography’s relationship to “high” art. However,
Evrard predictably concluded that “…mere artistic effect is often a very
secondary consideration in a photograph. There is another, and sometimes much
more important requisite, namely, the perfect clearness and legibility of every
detail, whether in light or shadow; and here the albumenized paper is without
rival.” (Newhall) If a high degree of resolution was available, it should be
made use of: the softer, less focused image would, after all, remain available.
While public embrace of sharper detail suggests photography’s move away from
painting, the contrasting aesthetics bear an interesting relationship to the obverse history of painting. Various movements defined a good painting as possessing
high definition, precision of detail, and realism. The work of Vermeer and his
Renaissance peers were valued for these qualities, and the use of egg tempera helped
achieve them. Contrary to the gradual enhancement of photographic resolution, painting underwent a reverse transition, wherein the public became
weary of perfect accuracy and detail. Painters such as Turner, and, subsequently,
the Impressionists onward reflect that weariness. It has been
theorized that early disavowal of realism in the world of painting reflected a
desire to distance itself from photography. And so the late-19th
century public witnessed a push and pull between old and new media that would
define art history for the next century.
Another interesting debate started with the invention of albumen paper: the relative merits of the glossy vs. matte surface. Albumen images tended to be glossy. Around 1870, their glossiness increased with the double coating of albumen layers. Also, “…it was found by many experimenters working independently that partially decomposed — in chemical terms “denatured”— albumen yielded a glossier and more even coating.” This experiment was taken further, allowing the albumen to ferment. As the albumen putrified, it became increasing smooth. “The origins of the fermentation technique are uncertain, but fermented albumen was already in use by the mid-1850's as a substratum on glass plates to improve the adhesion of collodion.…This technique later became standard procedure in the Dresden, Germany, factories, which from the early 1870's on supplied the majority of the world's albumen paper. Not surprisingly, Dresden paper could readily be identified by the smell.” (p. 31, Reilly, Albumen and Salted Paper Book)
Another method that enhanced gloss, not to mention detail and durability, was to burnish and varnish the finished albumen photograph. Albumen yellows with age—just as do egg tempera paints—thus, varnish was used to protect the image from oxidation. Varnished albumen prints are distinctively well preserved. As will be discussed later, it is also very difficult to see past the varnish to identify details about the print.
Like the enhanced detail introduced by albumen prints of wet collodion glass negatives, their glossiness was also greeted with ambivalence. The public viewed gloss as a sign of cheapness. Interestingly, that association continues today. A matte surface represents refinement without the need to overstate the quality of the image. In response to public demand, a variety of matte albumen papers were produced: “Matt Albumin, Albumat, Albumon, Albumatpapier, Alboidin. The most common way to produce matte-albumen photographs was to use diluted or highly diluted albumen. However, matte albumen prints remained relatively rare. “Matte-albumen photographic papers were produced mainly in Europe, particularly Germany, and their commercial production ended in the late 1920s, when they were replaced by a number of matte silver gelatin photographic papers capable of yielding similar visual effects.” (p. 41, Reilly, Albumen and Salted Paper Book) However, it is worth noting that, among others, Evrard came to the defense of his glossy invention: “It is said that its brilliancy is vulgar ... I cannot think that a slight gloss ... is objectionable.” (Newhall)
Commercially produced presensitized albumen paper was eventually developed. It had a longer shelf life, and assisted in making albumen paper an international standard. Albumen prints were far cheaper than the daguerreotype; thus, available to a broader population of consumers. Albumen prints were mounted on cardboard for sturdiness, and sold as “cartes de visite,” which were the size of drivers licenses, or the larger cabinet cards. While they depicted all manner of things, including landscapes and historic locations, portraits were most common.
Mounted albumen cabinet card varnished with
shellac.
Because of its
smooth surface, albumen paper was also commonly used in stereographic
photographs, which relied on two perfectly identical images to create the
desired three-dimensional effect.
Tinting was a
common feature of albumen printing. This was accomplished either by printing on
pre-tinted pink or purple paper, or by hand tinting the photographs once they
were produced. Tinted paper was eventually discontinued, because it was thought
to produce muddy results. However, hand tinting continued, and gold tinting was
also very common, which, while ostensibly used to preserve the image, lent the print a sepia tone.
Examples of albumen photographs showing a range
of color tonalities.
Since albumen
printing was so pervasive, the list of famous photographers famous who used albumen
paper is extensive. The Library of Congress alone holds 14,169 examples of albumen photographs.
The French photographer Nadar (pseudonym for
Gaspard-Félix
Tournachon) was
famous for some of the first examples of photojournalism. Timothy O’Sullivan and Carleton
Watkins, two Americans, are reknowned for documenting the American West,
particularly its landscape.
The End of Albumen Printing
After a
thirty-five year run, “albumen paper became obsolescent with the invention by
J. B. Obernetter of Munich of a gelatin-chloride emulsion printing-out paper in
1885, and the introduction of the similar "aristotype" paper by
Liesegang of Dusseldorf in the following year. This paper required no chemical
operations before use, and it was quicker to print.” (Newhall) Since then,
photographs continued to be printed on a variety of chloride papers, which were
later superceded by chlorobromide papers, sensitive enough for 20th
century demands for enlargement.
Identification
Albumen prints
can be identified several ways: first, if the photograph was made sometime
between 1850-1880, it is very likely to be printed on albumen paper. Albumen
prints are also recognizable by microcracking, giving it a “crackled” or
“crazed” appearance, creating a web-like pattern across the image. Sometimes
this cracking is too fine for the naked eye and can only be detected under
magnification. If a print has been varnished or burnished, it is unlikely to exhibit
microcracking, but that is relatively rare. “A perfectly intact, unblemished image usually indicates that a
print is not an albumen and salted paper print. Such a perfect print may either
be of photomechanical origin, such as a woodburytype, carbon print, collotype,
etc., or else may be a silver photographic print on gelatin or collodion
printing-out paper. These materials may resemble albumen prints, but have
generally survived in better condition.”(p. 121, Reilly, Albumen and Salted Paper Book)
Another
identifying feature is yellowing. Not surprising for a century-old image derived from egg. However, as mentioned earlier, prints that were varnished were better protected, and thus tend to reflect the original greyish hue of albumen
prints.
The technology of print identification is interesting with regard to albumen prints. While ATR-FTIR (Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) are important analytical techniques utilizing light, in the case of albumen prints, a test most commonly used in medicine called ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) can confirm the presence of albumen. This is because it is designed to detect organic substances, such as proteins, antibodies, or hormones. In the case of albumen, there are antibodies specific to ovalbumin, the albumen protein in chicken eggs. (Getty Atlas)
Preservation
Humidity is the primary factor
in the preservation of albumen prints. Interestingly, prints that have been
exposed to the elements of humidity and heat over time, and thus show all the
signs of deterioration, are quite stable by the time we see them. However, an albumen print that has
been protected from the elements will rapidly deteriorate once exposed. In
addition to yellowing, deterioration is manifested by loss of highlight detail,
fading, and color changes. For preservation purposes, humidity should be kept
at 30-40 percent, and the temperature should not exceed 18 degrees Celsius.
When prints are displayed,
tungsten light should be used, because it gives off a cooler light. And, finally, the recommended storage is paper enclosures, using neutral, high
alpha-cellulose paper. Occasionally uncoated polyester or cellulose are also used.
(Calhoun & Leister)
Conclusion
It
is worth noting that contemporary photographers continue to make their own
albumen paper, demonstrating the ongoing appreciation of albumen’s aesthetic
value. For the same reason, egg tempera painting endures as well. The artistic uses of
both yolk and albumen survive today as artisanal processes.
References
“Preservation of
Albumen,” Reilly: http://albumen.conservation-us.org/library/c20/reilly1982b.html
“Culinary
Darkroom:” http://www.hagley.org/librarynews/culinary-darkroom-albumen-photographic-prints
“Effect of Gelatin Layers on the Dimensional
Stability of Photographic Film”
J.M.
Calhoun and D.A. Leister, Manufacturing Experiments Division. Eastman Kodak
Company, Rochester, N.Y.
The Atlas of Analytical
Signatures of Photographic Process,
by Dusan C. Stulik and Art Kaplan. The Getty Conservation Institute, 2013. Retrieved
from http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/atlas.html
Beaumont
Newhall, “60,000 Eggs a Day,” retrieved from http://image.eastmanhouse.org/files/GEH_1955_04_04.pdf
The History of
Egg Tempera, retrieved from http://www.kooschadler.com/techniques/history-egg-tempera.pdf
Library of
Congress albumen print examples: https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/589_albumen.html
“How to make
your own albumen prints” http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/albumen/albumen-printing
The Albumen and Salted Paper book, Reilly. Retrieved from http://albumen.conservation-us.org/library/monographs/reilly/albumen-reilly_delivery.pdf
