Dr. W.W.J.Nichol In 1889 or 99 invented the Kallitype. There are quite a few formulas & techniques of the Kallitype process. From these the simplest being the Vandyke process (brown print).

The Vandyke Process is named after the 17th century Flemish painter Anthony Vandyke, due to his use of rich brown tones as the dominant part of his paintings. Most acid free watercolor papers are a good starting point, experiment with a range easily available.

FORMULA ::.

After trying some of the variety available to me in the selection of the formulas decide on this one because of the long shelf life and the rich brown tones. Surprisingly it actually becomes better as it ages.

Stock Solution A
::. 90 grams Ferric Ammonium Citrate
::. 250 ml Distilled water

Stock Solution B
::. 15 grams Tartaric acid
::. 250 ml Distilled water

Stock Solution C
::. 30 grams Silver Nitrate *
::. 250 ml distilled water

MIXING THE CHEMICALS ::.

Mix each solution separately. Combine Stock Solution A and B with constant stirring then slowly add Stock Solution C. Finally add another 250 ml to bring the mixed solution to 1000 ml of Vandyke sensitizer. The mixed solution will keep well and long if stored in opaque or amber colored glass bottles air tight. Store all bottles in a cool dark place. Allow to age before using it for the first time (2or3days). Shake the emulsion well before use.

PLEASE NOTE ::.

Wear gloves when handling Silver Nitrate because it will stain anything it touches black.

PREPARE THE PAPER - DRY AND EXPOSE ::.

The emulsion should be applied in a subdued light area (UV free) By using a metal free brush or a small sponge. Let it dry naturally or you could speed up the drying with a hairdryer .The surface will appear greenish yellow when totally dry (if and when it turns brown it is no good to use). Once dried you place the negative on the paper surface followed by a heavy clean glass on top (non contact frames users). The glass should be slightly larger than the selected size of the print. Test for the correct exposure time. Since they can vary due to the intensity of the sun or any other UV light source you might have selected. There have been days when my negative contact exposure time was one minute and at another time it was about 45 minutes.

FINAL WASH AND FIXING - FIRST WASH ::.

After the deed is done (exposure) wash the print in water for about 2 minutes or till the water is clean and clear of any milkiness.

SECOND WASH ::.

Fix the print in a very diluted version of the fixer about a Tablespoon of Hypo (Sodium Thiosulfate) to a liter of water; or more accurately fix in a 5% dilution of Sodium Thiosulfate in water (stop before bleaching) this particular combination has worked well for me. With a paper size of 10" X 14" I would mix a fresh fixer after about every 4th or 5th print that had been used in the fixer. This wash will darken the image to a pleasing darker brown from the earlier paler version. Also be careful not to over fix since this would bleach out the intensity of the print, 2 minutes is normally good enough (Test).

FINAL WASH ::.

Wash the print in running water for five to ten minutes next use hypo-clearing bath (HCA) for a few minutes agitate and give a final rinse for at least 10 minutes. The image dries brownish and is permanent.

I have yet to find time to experiment with toning these prints quite a few options out there will post my results once done with experimentation on a new set of images. For someone already interested and not keen on waiting here is a suggestion i read in an article written by a friend Wynn White which recommends using Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner with a very weak dilution, mix 2 ml of selenium toner with water to make up 500 ml of working solution.

HYPO CLEARING AGENT FORMULA ::. H C A

::. 700 ml Water
::. 200 grams Sodium Sulfite

Add water to make a liter 1000 ml ::. HCA 1: 9 ::. one part HCA to 9 parts water.

DISCLAIMER ::.

It is the responsibility of the user of toxic chemicals to take proper precautions to avoid intake. The author cannot accept liability for any injury, sickness, or damage resulting from these processes.