Albumen Prints 1850

Albumen prints were the first prints produced on paper that were fairly quick and became very common in the nineteenth century. The paper was cover in albumen (egg whites) then an image would be suspended on to the paper instead of imbedded in the fibers. The paper, which has already been covered in albumen, is sensitized with silver nitrate then exposed in contact with a negative image. No other chemicals are needed past this point. Rather than direct positive exposures like Daguerreotypes, Albumen prints are a negative- positive process. Albumen prints are subject to sensitivity, but are able to capture very fine details. This process was first invented by Louis-Desiré Blanquart-Evrard in 1850 in France. The Albumen process replaced the salted paper print process.