Historical Context
Albumen printing dominated photography from the 1850s through the 1890s, becoming the first mass-production photographic printing process. Introduced by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard in 1850, the process uses egg white as a binder to hold silver salts on paper. From the early 1870s Dresden factories supplied most of the world's albumen paper; in 1888 the largest, the Dresdener Albuminfabriken AG, used over six million eggs.
Most 19th-century photographs you encounter in museums and archives are albumen prints, identifiable by their characteristic glossy surface and tendency to yellow in highlights.
Chemistry
Salting Solution
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Egg white (albumen) | 1 litre (about 33 large eggs) |
| Ammonium chloride | 15 g |
| Glacial acetic acid | 2 ml |
| Distilled water | 30 ml |
Preparation
- Separate egg whites from yolks
- Whisk or blend for about 3 minutes until fully frothed
- Allow the foam to settle for 24 hours in a covered container
- Carefully pour off the clear liquid from beneath the foam
- Dissolve the ammonium chloride in the water and acetic acid, then add to the albumen
- Strain through muslin, squeezing with some pressure
- Refrigerate for about a week before use; it stays usable for several weeks after that
Silver Bath
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Silver nitrate | 12 g |
| Distilled water | 100 ml |
Citric acid (1-5%) can be added to the silver bath to lengthen the keeping time of sensitised paper.
Procedure
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Paper coating: Float a thin, smooth, all-rag paper (such as single-ply Strathmore 500 Series drawing paper, plate finish) on the salted albumen for 1 to 1½ minutes, coating one side only. Hang to dry.
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Double coating (optional): A second coat gives more gloss and better prints from thin negatives. Harden the first coat first (Reilly: a current of steam, or a brief dip in 70% isopropyl alcohol containing the same chloride content as the albumen), or it will dissolve in the second float.
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Sensitising: Under subdued light, float the dried albumen paper on the silver bath for 2½ to 3 minutes. The silver combines with the chloride to form light-sensitive silver chloride.
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Drying: Dry in complete darkness. Use immediately or within a few hours.
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Exposure: Contact print under UV light or sunlight. This is a printing-out process—watch the image appear. Expose until shadows are distinctly darker than the final target (they lighten in processing).
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Washing: Rinse in several changes of water.
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Toning (optional but recommended): Gold toning improves permanence and shifts tone from red-brown toward purple-brown.
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Fixing: Fix in two baths of 15% sodium thiosulfate with 2 g/l sodium carbonate, 4 minutes each with constant agitation.
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Final wash: Rinse for 2-4 minutes, treat in 1% sodium sulfite for 3-4 minutes, then wash for 30 minutes (40-50 minutes for heavy papers or thick coatings).
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Drying: Air dry face-up on clean surface.
Gold Toning
Gold toning before fixing dramatically improves archival permanence:
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Distilled water | 1 litre |
| Gold chloride (1% solution) | 40-50 ml |
| Sodium acetate (fused) | 20 g |
Tone (typically 3-15 minutes, at 17-20 °C with constant agitation) until the colour shifts from red-brown to purple-brown, continuing well past the first visible change. Wash for 5 minutes, then fix.
Comparison with Salt Prints
| Aspect | Albumen Print | Salt Print |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Glossy, smooth | Matte, textured |
| Image location | On top of paper | Within paper fibres |
| Detail | Finer detail possible | Softer appearance |
| Colour | Purple-brown | Warm red-brown |
| Preparation | More complex | Simpler |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Uneven coating | Poor paper floating technique | Float evenly, avoid bubbles |
| Low Dmax | Insufficient sensitising time | Extend silver bath time |
| Yellow staining | Insufficient fixing/washing | Extend processing times |
| Bronzing in shadows | Over-exposure | Reduce exposure time |
| Blistering | Trapped air, contamination | Clean technique, fresh chemicals |
Safety
| Chemical | Hazard | Precautions |
|---|---|---|
| Silver nitrate | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage; oxidiser; very toxic to aquatic life | Gloves and eye protection essential; keep away from combustible materials; do not pour down the drain. Black skin stains are not permanent and wear off as the skin renews |
| Ammonium chloride | Harmful if swallowed; causes serious eye irritation | Gloves and eye protection |
| Raw eggs | Salmonella risk | Fresh eggs; wash hands |
| Gold chloride | Corrosive: causes skin burns and eye damage; may cause an allergic skin reaction; harmful if swallowed | Gloves and eye protection |
| Glacial acetic acid | Flammable; causes severe skin burns and eye damage | Gloves and eye protection; good ventilation |
Further Reading
James Reilly, The Albumen & Salted Paper Book (Light Impressions, 1980) The definitive historical and technical reference for albumen printing. Covers paper selection, albumen preparation, and 19th-century production methods.
Liam Lawless, Egg Albumen Prints (Foto-Imaging.com) Practical modern guide with detailed step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting.
Christopher James, The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, 3rd Edition Comprehensive chapter on albumen printing with contemporary techniques.
Sources
- The Albumen & Salted Paper Book, ch. 4: Albumen Paper, James M. Reilly (CoOL / AIC)
- The Albumen & Salted Paper Book, ch. 6: Sensitization, James M. Reilly (CoOL / AIC)
- The Albumen & Salted Paper Book, ch. 7: Tone Reproduction and Print Exposure, James M. Reilly (CoOL / AIC)
- The Albumen & Salted Paper Book, ch. 8: Toning, James M. Reilly (CoOL / AIC)
- The Albumen & Salted Paper Book, ch. 9: Fixation and Washing, James M. Reilly (CoOL / AIC)
- Silver nitrate substance information, ECHA