albumen_prints

The albumen print process includes the use of egg whites to coat the paper which reduced the roughness and porosity of the surface allowing for finer detail in photographs.  This process was invented by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrar in the mid-nineteenth century. The albumen prints were inexpensive and helped bring photography into the masses.

The following is an albumen print that can be found in the George Eastman House collection. The photograph of Juneau and Douglas Island, Alaska, was taken by Isaiah West Taber in 1885.

Process: The 100% cotton rag paper is first coated with an albumen solution and dried. The paper is then coated with a 3% salt solution. Once the salt solution dries, 2 coats of silver solution are applied. Once you expose the paper, it is fixed in a hypo solution and then washed.

My prints didn’t turn out very well because I think I let the paper sit too long before applying the salt and the silver solutions.

The George Eastman house will be holding a workshop giving individuals an opportunity to experiment with the albumen print process. More information about the workshop can be found at the following link: http://www.eastmanhouse.org/events/detail/photo-workshop-10-2011.


My albumen prints didn't seem to come out at all. I think it was because I coated my paper a couple weeks in advance. I didn't think that it would have an effect on the paper until I coated it with a salt solution and silver solution but I was wrong!