Mounting Bromide Enlargements

The first requisite for this is a water-tight tray, large enough to

hold the enlargements. A hard rubber tray can be purchased, or a wooden

one that will answer the purpose may be made. I use one of my own

construction that is cheap and serviceable. It is simply a wooden box,

27x32 inches and 4 inches deep, made of 1/2 inch grooved material and

lined with black oil cloth, not cut at the corners, but folded in. In

this, when about half full of water, lay the enlargement face up, and

let it remain in the water fifteen minutes. It should then be laid face

down on the wet cloth (which should be all ready) as described in the

preceding chapter, for mounting crayon paper. Care must be exercised to

have the cloth wet all over, for if there should be any dry spots in it

they would ruin the gelatin surface. With a cloth or squeegee remove

the water from the back of the enlargement and also from the cloth

around its edges, for if there is too much water on the edge of the

cloth it will work up into the paste and prevent it from sticking when

mounted. Now paste the enlargement and strainer according to the

directions given for mounting crayon paper, place the enlargement on

the strainer and rub it down by using the fingers wet in a little

water, or the squeegee can be used; and then trim off even with the

outside of the strainer. Avoid rubbing too hard along the edges, as by

so doing you will press out all the paste and it will not stick.



You can remount a bromide enlargement as often as necessary in case it

does not come out perfect, only bear in mind that you must not allow

anything dry to touch the surface when wet. But I should not advise you

to try more than three times directly on the strainer. It would be

better to mount a piece of crayon paper on a new strainer, and after it

is dry to remount the bromide enlargement on that.









OUTLINES--NEGATIVE OUTLINE.





After the crayon paper has been mounted on the strainer and dried, the

next step is to obtain the outline. I will first treat of free-hand

crayons, taking it for granted that the reader is not able to produce

crayons from life, but works from a photograph. There are five

different methods of making an outline, from which the reader can make

his own selection.





Make a negative from the photograph that is to be enlarged, and

construct for a room that is entirely dark, with the exception of one

window, a dark inside shutter, with an opening in it the size of the

negative you intend to use. Place a cleat on each side and at the

bottom of this opening, so that the negative may be made to slide in

front of it. Having removed the ground glass from your camera box,

fasten the latter against the shutter so that the opening comes in the

centre of the box. You can fasten it with four hooks and eyes, or

arrange cleats on the shutter and pieces on the box, so that it will

slide into place. Be sure and have the box come tight against the

shutter so that the light will be entirely excluded. Place the negative

over the small opening in the shutter and adjust the camera box; then

stand the easel with the crayon strainer on it at the proper distance

to give the required size of the enlargement and focus the image sharp

on the crayon paper. The strainer must stand at the same angle as the

shutter; that is, if the shutter is perpendicular then the strainer

must stand perpendicular also. Then go over the outline and shadow

lines with the charcoal, after which open the shutter and examine the

outline and see if it is right. As you are working in the dark you are

apt to overlook some lines. If you have done so you can close the

shutter again and make them. If it proves to be all right go over it

with the crayon point No. 2.