Author: Anonymous
Title: A Pair of Hand-Colored, Platinum Photographs of Yosemite Falls and Three Brothers
Description: S. l. s. n. 1890. Two photographs, n. d. (ca 1890 - 1900); beige card stock - images 9 1/2 x 4, plates 13 1/4 x 7 3/4; small nicks to edges and a few minor spots - mostly to verso; in very good or better condition. Large and stunning platinotypes by an anonymous photographer, they depicted two of Yosemite National Park's most famous landmarks - the majestic Yosemite Falls and the towering Three Brothers rock formation. Platinum prints, renowned for their archival stability and undeniable beauty, were created by placing the negative and the platinum-salt-emulsion-coated paper in direct contact. The sensitizer was absorbed into the paper, not sitting on the surface, which gave the image a matte surface, unlike that of silver gelatin prints, for example. The first patent for the patinotype process was obtained by British inventor William Willis Jr. in 1873. Although cheap at that time, by 1907 platinum would become 52 times more expensive than silver and even more so, with the onset of WWI, all available platinum would be used in the war effort - making platinotypes rarer and more elusive than other types of photographs. Very good .

Keywords: California, Photography


See more books from our catalog: Photography