A glass plate being prepared by pouring a collodion mixture on to it

Roger Fenton's photographic processes

Fenton printed from glass plate negatives

The wet collodion process

      The wet collodion process used a prepared piece of glass which, in the darkroom, would be coated with collodion and then made light-sensitive with further chemicals. Before the plate could dry, it would be placed in the camera and exposed. Then the plate would be returned to the darkroom and developed, rinsed, fixed, washed, dried and varnished. It was then ready for printing.

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