BJA ad for Albumin Photo Paper
Toronto. At the various PHSC events and elsewhere, we often spot various ‘carded’ images such as CdVs. Have you ever considered why these cards have very thin paper images glued to thick cardboard?
The print is made on Albumin paper. That paper, left to its own devices, rolls up like a tight cylinder of paper – like a cigarette. The Albumin comes from eggs – those oblong shaped somewhat oval delights of the breakfast table!
The manufacture of Albumin paper in Dresden, Germany was discussed in a lengthy 1894 article in an American magazine called The Photogram. The article is reproduced in volume 27-5 of our journal with an introduction by then PHSC member, the late Dr Robert Wilson.
The 1894 article begins, “First published in January 1894, The Photogram reported items of photography and process work (photomechanical reproduction). Published in London by Dawbarn & Ward, it was edited by Catharine Weed Ward and H. Snowden Ward. Both had been involved with editing other photographic magazines, Catharine Weed Ward with The American Amateur Photographer, and H. Snowden Ward with The Practical Photographer.
“Also involved with The Photogram was W. Ethelbert Henry. Henry had ‘spent some years as official photographer to the Construction Department of the Canadian Pacific R.R.’ He went to England in 1888 where he was involved with photography and process work. Then ‘about the end of 1892 Mr. Henry returned to Canada, where he is engaged in photographic enlarging and publishing work, and is associate editor of the Canadian Photographic Journal.’
“In late 1894, the publishers of The Photogram produced a special issue ‘…dealing very fully with the best pictures at all the principal shows, both British and American…’ This special issue also used The Photogram to identify itself.”
You can read the balance of Dr Wilson’s introduction plus the article itself in the issue 27-5 pdf file on the free members-only thumb drive. See above and at right under ‘Membership’ to join or renew. Email any questions to member@phsc.ca.
